Pines Deal Solo
by Here4thebooks
Summary: Dipper couldn't bare seeing his family get hurt because of what he could prevent. He shakes Bill's hand, knowing what was going to happen. He didn't know why Bill wanted him but now he's trapped with the demon who wants nothing more than to destroy his dimension and he has no way to escape. There will be a little violence because it's Bill and pain is hilarious.
1. Let's Make A Deal

**Hello! This is my first Gravity Falls story ever so I hope its okay. I got the idea 'Pines Hunts Solo'. You should go read it too!**

 **Disclaimer: sadly I am not Alex Hirsh or Disney and I don't own Gravity Falls.**

The house was large and dark, double story like the Shack and no less safe. It was surrounded by forest which seemed to be happy and full of life just a few minutes ago but was now empty and cold. It reminded Dipper of a set for a B-grade horror movie that had been long abandoned.

Why would Ford ask him to come all the way out in the middle of nowhere and to a creep house no less?

Although Dipper had turned down Ford's offer of an apprenticeship the man still enjoyed Dipper's company. They could often be found together under the Shack researching different little anomalies around the town of Gravity Falls. It was something that neither Stan nor Mabel had much interest in so they preferred to stay upstairs.

Ford had been away for the past week and no one had heard from him. It was normal for the old explorer to go out searching for new mysteries, but he would usually take Dipper with him as a helper or at least tell Stan where he was going. The twins had been worried sick trying to find the old author even his brother was beginning to look worried. Stan and Ford had become closer than the younger twins could have ever imagined after they came back from their trip on the Stan-O-Wars II. They would have love to keep going on adventures on their beloved boat but with Stan's failing memory they thought it was best to set their sailing aside to go back to somewhere more recognisable for Stan's sake.

Dipper had been surprised to find a note inside the latest crime fiction novel, on his bedside table, instructing him to go to a house in the woods that Dipper hadn't even known was out here. He thought he had traversed every inch of Gravity Falls, but then again Ford had lived in the Falls for more than a summer.

The twins were turning fourteen at the end of the summer. They had come back to the quiet town in Oregon share the summer with their grunkles. Their second summer in Gravity Falls was proving to be less eventful without the looming threat of the Oddpocalypse, which they were thankful for.

Dipper opened the front door curiously; jumping as it creaked loudly. It echoed through the empty corridors of the shack as it swung on its hinges.

"Um, hello? Great-uncle Ford? Are you there? I got your message… I think…" He stuttered, stepping inside. It was like the house didn't want him to sneak around it; every time he stepped forward a loud creak break the silence he and scare him half to death. He decided that trying to be quiet as he walked further into the darkness was futile.

"You're here Dipper… Good… Good… Come up stairs." The voice made him jump; it was coming from the dark void of the upstairs rooms. Dipper smiled as he recognised the voice. Ford sounded gruffer than usual as if he hadn't had sleep in days which knowing him that was probably the reason.

"Great-uncle Ford! I'm so glad you're here, we've all been worried sick; even Grunkle Stan has been wondering where you are and we-"

"Yes, Dipper come up here, I want to show you something." Dipper could tell the man was getting irritated, the older twins weren't known for their patience.

"What did you find Great-uncle Ford?" Dipper asked, making his way up the stairs. Though he peered into the darkness intently, he still couldn't see any sign of the older man. He was a disembodied voice in the gloom.

"Come and see. I found something really…interesting… come on, Pine Tree, it's about Bill."

Dipper stopped in his tracks, that last part didn't quite sound like his oldest Grunkle. He began to run theories through his head trying to think of a reason his Grunkle would sound so out of character. Only one person he knew called him 'Pine Tree'; Bill Cipher. It made Dipper's blood run cold at the thought of the deranged dream demon. He took a step down the stairs, gripping the baluster like a drowning man.

"Erm, I think Mable and Grunkle Stan will want to see it too. You know how Mable is when she gets kept out of the loop." He called up laughing nervously as he crept backwards down the stairs. "So I'll just…"

Ford appeared at the top of the stairs, a grin spread across his face. In the darkness Dipper couldn't made out the man's eyes but he was sure now that they were yellow, snake-like eyes. Ford never smiled like that.

"Where are you going, _Dipper_? I wanted you to come up _here_." He drooled taking one slow deliberate step down the stairs his smile unwavering.

"Gr-great-uncle Ford, I don't like this, it's not funny; can you stop… Please?" Dipper stuttered taking a few more steps down.

"But _Dipper_ , pain is _hilarious_." The voice hadn't change, he still sounded like Ford but those words were all too familiar. A shriek of laughter filled the air. The words that had come out of his Grunkle were wrong. Grunkle Ford would never say that pain was funny or that anything else that dire was anywhere near amusing. Dipper stumbled back in shock, the staircase tilting as he almost tumbled the rest of the way down. Fortunately, he still had hold of the handrail to steady him. "Whoa, careful there, Pine Tree, wouldn't want you to crack your skull open." Ford laughed sinisterly. _"I need that brain."_

There was no longer any doubt that Bill had taken control of his Grunkle. But how? There was no point in figuring it out now. He had to get the hell out of here.

He turned and ran down the few remaining steps, leaping to the bottom and making a sprint for to door, which was still open.

He didn't make it very far.

Despite his Grunkle's old age, Bill forced Ford's body to leap over the banister to land in front of the boy. Dipper fell back in surprise and immediately tried to scramble backwards.

The man in front of him was huge from this angle. Dipper had never really noticed how much bigger Ford was in comparison to his brother. All those years fighting inter-dimensional monsters had made him solid and stern-faced. But now his face was split in two by a wide toothy grin making him look like a mad man, which was exactly what he was with Bill in control.

Dipper's mouth was dry and he felt like he was going to wet himself at any time. _All to do with the natural reflexes of fight or flight,_ Ford would say if he were really here.

The man laughed as Dipper went to stand up after scrambling backward a few feet. He only had to take a few steps forward before he was on top of the boy yet again.

Dipper let out a high pitched squeak as Bill planted Ford's foot on his chest forcing him back down onto the ground. That made Bill laugh even harder.

"Bill? I-"

"Yeesh kid, you look like you've seen a ghost. Don't tell me you thought I was dead!"

"How did you-"

"Possess poor old Sixer? Easy, he said our deal would last from _now until the end of time._ For someone who's supposed to be smart he was so gullible, it was little killing a Time Baby." Bill laughed at the memory.

Dipper wanted to yell at Bill to tell him to stop interrupting him; he hated it when people wouldn't let him finish. He decided against it when he remembered the dangerous situation he was in.

"But you died!" He blurted lamely.

"Ha! You think you and your family of meatsacks can kill me? I can't be killed. Well, not by you at least." He shrugged.

"Why are you here? What do you want?"

"Oh, I was waiting for that question." His grin grew even wider. "You meatsacks drag on with pointless questions with obvious answers. You see I want to-"

"I'm not making a deal with you, Bill!" Dipper spat, regaining his courage.

"Don't interrupt me!" Ford's eye's flashed red as he plunged a knife, that Dipper hadn't realised he had been holding until now, into his own thigh laughing hysterical at the pain. Dipper screamed, struggling under the leg that held him to the ground. "Do it again and I'll have to end Sixer's life earlier than planned, got it Pine Tree?"

Dipper nodded his head so violently that his head thunked against the hard floor. He had to close his eyes for a time to stop the world from spinning.

"Good. As I was saying, I want to make a deal with you." Blood dropped down his leg in crimson rivers to pool on Dipper's shirt, staining it brown.

"I don't- I don't want to!" Dipper screamed; shaking his head eyes still closed.

"If I had my way Pine Tree you wouldn't have a chose but hear me out, I will give you back old Six-Fingers here, as unharmed as you have allowed him to be, and in return you will stay with me, without complaining. So what do you say?"

"N-" Dipper began.

"Think about whose life is at stake before you answer, Pine Tree." Bill pulled out another knife and held it to Ford's throat, giggling as he began to press the blade deeper into the old man's neck. Where that hell was he giving all of these knives?

Dipper went to stop it, raising a hand out to grab the knife before Bill could break the skin but he was stopped by the fact that he was still held down on the floor, unable to reach his arm fell limply to the ground.

Bill was right. Dipper was being selfish; he couldn't let Ford get hurt because he didn't want to make a deal; that wasn't what heroes did. Ford would want him to be a hero but at the same time Dipper knew that Ford wouldn't want Dipper sacrificing himself for his Grunkle.

"Can I talk to him for minute?"

"Nope. Good old Sixer is out of commission. If I brought him back now he would pass out from the pain you caused." Bill said, shaking his Grunkle's head and gesturing to the knife that had been buried in the old man's leg.

"But I can't decide without him!" Dipper pleaded his face scrunching up as he looking up at his Great-uncle's face which was devoid of sympathy.

"Yes, you can Pine Tree; it's your decision to give up your life, you have a right to give it up if you want. Choose wisely because I don't like time wasters and time is running out." He smiled evilly, tapping his wrist with the blade of the knife even though the man wasn't wearing a watch.

At that moment Ford's foot was lifted off his chest allowing him to take a large gulp of air that he didn't know his needed.

"Thanks." He muttered getting to his feet. No sooner had he done so, however, a hand clamped strongly around his shoulder so that he couldn't get away even if he wanted to.

If he went with Bill and let Ford go back to the Shack he could find a way to rescue him later, it was better than Ford being killed outright, in front of him, no questions asked. No goodbyes said, just like before. If he went with Bill, there was a chance that everyone would survive so that they could use the Cipher Wheel on him.

"Why do you want me?"

"I want you because at least you're interesting!" Bill said, rolling his borrowed eyes. "I can't say the same for any other meat-sack in this stupid town. Look happy kid, I just gave you a compliment." He uttered gruffly, giving the boy a deadly glare.

"Will you hurt me?" He hated himself for sounding so scared and useless.

"Not if you do what I say."

"And Great-uncle Ford will be safe?"

"Not if you keep asking stupid questions and wasting my time. Now do we have a deal or not, Pine Tree?"

"Yes, I'll take the deal." Dipper held out his hand reluctantly; he saw no other way to get out of this.

Bill cackled hysterical as he stuck out his Grunkle's hand to seal the deal. There wasn't any fire like there had been when he last made a deal with Bill, this time he wasn't in the mind-scape. The larger hand wrapped tightly around Dipper's smaller five-fingered hand and a weird sensation filled him, making him feel warm and floaty. Bill erupted out of Ford's body as Dipper landed in the mind-scape, the dark wallpapered halls of the house becoming grey and misted. Ford's body landed twisted and unconscious on the grey floor.

"Let me take him back to the Shack for medical help and then I'll go with you, please?"

"Whatever you say, Pine Tree, you couldn't pick Sixer up on your own even if you tried, not with your noodle arms." Bill laughed loudly, floating backwards as if he were falling over in mid-air."You're a hoot, kid."

"Hey!" Dipper complained angrily, he didn't feel like being bullied by a triangle wearing a bow-tie. "Like you can talk about noodle arms!"

"Okay, okay, I get your point kid," he said, wiping giant tear from his bulbous eye. "But I'm coming with you."

"But how are…?"

Before he could finish, Bill disappeared in a flash of light so bright that he had to shield his eyes. The dreamlike feeling vanished and he was back in the real world, lying next to his Grunkle's body. He looked over at where Bill had been in the dream-scape but instead of the yellow triangle the boy had grown accustomed to seeing in his nightmares he saw a human.

"What the fu-"

"Language Pine Tree, I don't want you to be foul mouthed."

The human-looking thing had messy dirty blonde hair, was wearing a neat yellow dress shirt and black dress pants. Dipper notice that the top hat, bow-tie as well as the shirt, all gave the distinct impression that Bill really liked the way he looked when he was a triangle. He looked like someone trying to cosplay the demon. The thought of someone wanting look like Bill made Dipper's nose wrinkle in disgust.

"Don't just stare at me! How do I look?" The demon asked eagerly, waiting for his opinion even though it would amount to nothing, spinning around to show off his 'amazing' new body.

"Well… um… you look really…" Not for the first time Dipper wondered if he was dreaming but he was sure that if this really was a dream he either would have woken up screaming by now or peed himself. It was the kind of thing that happened to him when he had dreams like these. Dipper had no idea what the hell to say much less comment on what he was looking at. His brain was still yelling at him for making a deal with the yellow demon, again! You would think he had learnt the first time.

"Well you're useless aren't ya? How. Do. I. Look?" Bill was beginning to sound frustrated and Dipper didn't really feel like being on the receiving end of his rage.

"Are you a boy or a girl?" Was that the first thing that came out of Dipper's mouth? Yes, and he was mentally kicking himself for it.

"What do you mean? I'm neither, kid! Demons have thousands of sexes and millions of genders, Pine Tree. I can't remember what I am, I don't really care." Bill dropped the bomb of knowledge like it was no big deal.

"Um…" Dipper didn't really know what to say to that, he thought they were the same thing. He looked down and realised that Great-uncle Ford was still unconscious in the ground. "Can you help me left Great-uncle Ford…? Please. He needs help."

"Sure thing kid, whatever you want! But first you have to answer my question." Bill wiggled a finger in his face annoyingly. "Do I look good?"

"I don't care what you look like, Bill! It's not about what you look like! You could look like Wendy and I would still hate you! You're still a sadistic demon triangle! Great-uncle Ford is blooding to death and you're worried about how you look?!"

"Oh, I'm hurt, you left out my insanity. If changing bodies wasn't so draining I would take you up on that 'Wendy' comment." Bill winked, looking pleased that he could do itnow that he had two eyes. With a click of his fingers his Grunkle was lifted into the air and floated gently next to Bill as he stepped towards the open door. "Are you coming Pine Tree?"

Dipper didn't like the fact that he could now see the smirk that went with the demon's smug voice, it made him look even more evil, if that were even possible.

"What makes you think I'm not going to run away?"

"You made a deal with me for your uncle's life. Think about that before you make another half-assed attempt to escape. And don't ask stupid questions!" Bill snarled, not even looking at him as they walked out into the afternoon sun. Dipper gulped.

"How are you in the real world? I didn't give you a body."

"Better. It didn't take me long to find my real body in the forest, right where I left it. I just went back to get it and made some outwards alterations."

"Your real body was still in Gravity Falls?" Dipper was shocked, they hadn't even thought about the demon's body after the town was back to normal, they were all just happy no one died.

"Yes, no one even went looking for it when my plan failed, even though you all saw me go into Stan's mind. You humans really are stupid!" He laughed as if it were a hilarious joke.

"All this time, and none of us even thought to look for it." Dipper mused, absentmindedly.

"Yeah, as I said- you're all stupid!"

They kept walking in what Dipper thought was a very uncomfortable silence, for a few kilometres, until Dipper stopped dead in his tracks. His mind had been wondering when a horrible thought struck him. It made his blood turn to ice and his feet to lead.

Bill had taken a few more steps forward by the time he realised that Dipper had stopped. When he turned to look at the boy he was smiling knowingly.

"What did I give you?" He was holding his breath; he could believe that he hadn't asked him before shaking his hand.

"Yourself." The man's eyes seemed to stare into Dipper's soul as his smile grew wide and his eyes filled with greed.

"What do you mean?" He knew exactly what he meant and there was no escaping it, not without killing everyone he loved.

"Your mine now, Pine Tree."


	2. Up The Stairs

**Okay I couldn't stop writing more, so I did. I'm sorry I have way too much time on my hands and so do Dipper and Mabel and "twins with too much time on their hands... are the devil." (sorry- been re-watching some older animes)**

 **Please tell me if I missed any spelling errors, I think I got them all but you can never be too such about these things. Thanks**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Fall but I wish I did.**

Dipper paused, if being Ford's assistant had taught him anything it was that he had to remain calm and rational in the most threatening situations. He took a deep breath, trying to get his heart to slow down to a normal pace. He felt like he was facing the alien guard robots all over again but this time without Ford's help. His brain was screaming at him to run, to scream, to cry but he didn't do any of that. He just stood there not moving for a long time. His legs shook violently causing him to sway perilously as the minutes dragged on.

"You don't have to hold in all the emotions, Pine Tree. It's bad for you."

Dipper's head snapped up to look that the demon, he was leaning against a nearby tree and spinning Ford's body slowly around in the air like a kite.

"And not that I care or anything because I really couldn't care less about old Sixer here, but the deal was that he survived and at the moment he doesn't seem like his doing a very good job at living, in fact I think he might die before we get to the Shack, do you want me to call the hospital Pine Tree? Or…" Bill paused, tapping a finger on his chin. "Do you want to break the deal by letting the old man die? I mean, he _was_ meant to live until he was ninety-two but with him out of the way the Cipher Wheel can't be made, I could always use Shooting Star as bait for our next deal, it's really a win-win for me. So how about it kid, hospital or break the deal?"

Dipper vaguely knew what the demon was saying, he knew that he needed to snap out of it or his Great-uncle would die. There was no way he could go back to the Mystery Shack and say that he was the reason the Ford had lost his life. Despite the fact that Stan never said it, he really loved his brother and Dipper was sure that he couldn't bear to lose him again without saying goodbye.

"Call someone, please..."

"Whatever you say kid, this one's on you. Hope you don't regret it." Bill pulled a phone out of mid-air and started talking into it. Dipper wasn't listening, he was looking up at the old man, it was good that Bill hadn't taken out the knife otherwise he would have died long age. He looked so pale and weak, suspended in mid-air like a puppet on strings. A puppet… Just like Dipper.

Bill clapped his hands loudly, snapping Dipper out of his daze. The phone had vanished as if it had never existed.

"Well, Pine Tree, they know we're coming so let's get going." The creature offered its gloved hand, smiling in a decidedly demonic grin.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I call the hospital and told them I'm coming in and dropping off old Sixer."

"But we're in the middle of nowhere," Dipper was tired. He just wanted this day to be over, or better yet, not happen at all.

"God, kid! Did you hit your head on a rock when I wasn't looking? I'm going to teleport us there! What did you think I was going to do? I'm only walking because I know it's better for you if I do." Bill sounded exasperated as he pulled Dipper closer as if to examine the boy for injury.

"What would happen to me?"

Dipper suddenly wished he had brought his journal to write down his findings about the demon. He hadn't thought of teleportation as part of Bill's skill set but then again Bill seemed like he was always holding back a lot of what he could really do with his powers of weirdness.

"Well you could come out the other end without body parts or vomit up your small intestine." Bill smirked.

"Eww! Shut up!" Dipper whined, wrinkling up his face in disgust. He pushed Bill away him. He wasn't known for his iron stomach.

"You asked for it, Pine Tree." Bill laughed grabbing Dipper by the neck and pulling him closer. Grabbing the still unconscious Ford with his free hand and waving another hand in the air, flourishing it as if to conjure up magic from the air. Dipper was about to wonder how he could have three arms if he was in human form. But it seemed that even looking like a human he still had the immense power of a demon.

…

"The kid found him and called me straight away, it took us a while to get him here. He's the boy's Great-uncle and when the kid found him like this he was hysterical, if you could call the old man's brother it would be very much appreciated. Right now I need to take the kid home, he's still in shock you see." Bill told the doctor, rubbing circles into Dipper's back to look like he was trying to calm him but in reality Dipper was trying very hard not to make a run for it. He didn't want to be part of Bill's lie even though it was a lie that could save Ford's life. Bill handed over a piece of paper with a random jumble of numbers that could barely pass for a fake phone number.

"I understand, I just have a few quick questions to ask before you go home, I just need your names, where you found him, your address and… What did you say his name was again?" The doctor looked up at Bill, a confused expression on her face. She slowly took the phone number and putting on her clipboard.

"Stanford Filbrick Pines, I'm William Pines and this is Tyrone Pines." Bill lied effortlessly placing a hand on Dipper's shoulder. "And their home address is 618 Gopher Road. Now, if don't mind I would like to take little Tyrone here _home_ , he's all shaken up and hasn't had anything to eat all day." Bill growled in a somewhat sympathetic tone, steering Dipper towards the doors.

"Yes of course, sir," the Doctor stuttered, writing down their fake names and the Mystery Shack's address in her notes.

Dipper was just about dragged out and away from his Great-uncle as nurse and doctors bustle around him connecting him to monitors and bags of blood while cutting away the blood soaked clothes from his pale skin; he wasn't going to be in a good mood when he woke up, _if he woke up._

It made Dipper feel sick to think about this. Ford was old he couldn't just bounce back from that amount of blood lose overnight; it would take weeks for his to fully recover, even longer if he tries to stop Bill too soon.

"Now that that's out of the way we can go _home_." Bill muttered, brushing his shirt down as if to rid himself of the experiences of being in a hospital.

"Where's home now?" Dipper didn't look up as he asked; he just stared at the ground, giving in to the idea that his home won't be the Mystery Shack with his Grunkles or back in Piedmont with his parents. He wondered if he'd be living in the dreamscape or even if you could live in the dreamscape.

"The house that we were at before you made me stab old Fordsie. That is going to be our new home."

"I can't make you do anything."

"That's the spirit, kid." Bill smiled, clapping Dipper on the back with so much force that coursed him to fly forwards hitting the ground with a thud.

"I wanted to see Mabel." Dipper whispered, picking himself off the ground.

"No," Bill growled.

"Please, Bill. I don't know when I'll see her again. You have to let me see her."

"You said it yourself-I don't have to do anything, Pine Tree," but Dipper kept looking at him pleadingly. "You're acting like a child!"

"I'm begging you Bill! I can't leave her; I promised her I wouldn't leave her ever again!"

"Well you should have thought of that before you shook my hand, Pine Tree. You're pushing me, I suggest you stop…Now!" the warning tone was evident in the demon's voice.

"You've got to at least let me explain this to her."

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE _WORM_! YOU ARE MINE NOW. I WILL DO WHAT I WANT WITH YOU!"

Dipper looked up in fear. Bill was radiating waves of pure energy and power. Bill's eyes, which used to be a bright blue now glowed red with rage and his teeth grew to become sharpened fangs. He glared down at the boy grabbing his upper arm hard enough for the boy to whimper in pain as he tried in vain to back away from the infuriated man. He could tell the demon was struggling not to kill him right then and there when he saw the man's form flicker like I broken light bulb, revealing the demonic yellow triangle underneath. He reminded Dipper of when they had fought him the first time, when Gideon wanted the Shark. His voice had deepened from a high pitched squeal to a low booming voice that had echoed throughout Stan's mind.

Dipper couldn't stop the tears that were sliding down his cheeks; he had held them in for so long that it felt like a relief to let them out even though it made him feel like a kid.

He had never wanted to make the deal with Bill but he had been forced to give something precious to the demon twice now, making him feel like whatever he did, Bill would always win no matter what. That was just the way it was. It seemed like the Cipher Wheel only existed to give them all false hope.

"I-I don't want to give away my life; I didn't mean to! I just d-didn't want him to die. I'm only fourteen, I had n-no chose!" He cried. He didn't care what Bill would do to him, he didn't want to go with him. He just wanted to go home. He wanted to be with Mabel.

Bill bent down to sit at eye level with the boy as he wiped away a tear. "You meatbags are so emotional; I can't understand why you wouldn't be thrilled at being with me. I know Ford would have loved to spend this much time with me when he was younger," Bill smiled. His face suddenly darkened and his grip became uncomfortably tight. "Be grateful kid… I could just kill you for what you did to me last summer." He whispered into Dipper's ear making him cringe away from the hot breath.

"Why? Why don't you just kill me?" Dipper whined. He knew he sounded morbid but he wanted an answer. It didn't make any sense to him that Bill would let him live, that he would let Ford live when he could easily kill him both with a flick of his wrist. "It doesn't make any sense to me B-Bill! You…you could kill us all, you could have killed us all in Ford's body. Isn't that what you want, a sick twisted revenge that only you would ever find funny!"

"I… I don't want to talk about it kid. Don't push me or I'll turn you into an actual pine tree and set you on fire. Now come on, it's late." Bill wiped away a few more stray tears before lifting Dipper off the ground to stand on his feet. This time he just clicked his fingers and they were standing in front of the old house.

Bill stared at it through squinted eyes tapping a finger on his chin in dramatic contemplation. "I think it needs a paintjob and maybe a few light and a garden." He looked down at Dipper who was looking at the house with dread. "What do you think?"

Now that the sun was going down behind the mountains and a red hue painted the sky like blood dripping from an open wound the house looked even more haunted. It made Dipper feel sick to think of blood again… So much blood.

Dipper was able to make it to the nearest bush before emptying his stomach into it. It wasn't much, mostly bile since he hadn't really eaten all day.

"Are you alright kid? Was it because of the ride back?" He could hear Bill's blurred voice from somewhere behind him as he heaved and retched uncontrollably.

After a few minutes Dipper wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Sorry," he croaked weakly.

Bill gave him a strange look but didn't say anything as he picked Dipper up and brought him inside the house.

Inside was warm as if a fire had been lit hours beforehand and the walls were a pale yellow colour that made the place look even brighter. All the lights were on, even the ones upstairs. The house was actual a nice place now that Bill had focused his magic on fixing it.

"I think you should go get changed and then have something to eat, you look really pale," Bill broke the silence and pointed towards a door down the hall. "That's the bathroom."

Dipper didn't argue, he knew he reeked of sweat, blood and vomit and he felt grimy. He felt like having the hottest shower he could bear without scolding himself. Maybe it would be a small payback if he used all the hot water up.

He locked the door even though if Bill really wanted to get in he could do it without even raising a finger. Dipper undressed and hopped under the steamy water. His clothes were ruined. As much as he didn't want to he would have to ask Bill for some new ones.

He would also have to find a way to break the deal. He remembered reading in the journals that he could break the deal whenever he wanted to but that would also mean Bill could break it too and his family would die. Before doing anything he would have to get a message to his Grunkles and Mabel and possibly everyone else in the town to leave. That was the only way he could be sure they were all safe from Bill. Bill still couldn't leave the Gravity Falls area and Dipper would be relying on that fact to be able to break the deal. It was the only plan he could come up with from the top of his head but it would have to do for the time being. Bill would become suspicious if he spent too much time in the bathroom without the tell-tale sound of water running and Dipper didn't want the demon busting down the door when he had no clothes on.

He wrapped a towel tightly around his waist before walking out into the hallway to find the blonde man.

"Um… Bill…?" He called wearily as he peered around corners.

"What can I do you for, kid?" The voice came from behind and Dipper let out a little scream of surprise as he spun around to face the man. "Geez kid, you're so skittish." He laughed, flowing upwards as he clutched his stomach.

"I just need some clothes. My other ones are bloodstained." Dipper said, trying to compose himself.

"Sure, kid, why didn't you say so," he snapped his fingers and a pile of clothes fell. Dipper found himself having to jump forwards to be able to catch them before they hit the ground.

"Thanks…I guess," he mumbled looking the bundle of items over before heading back towards the bathroom.

"No problem, Mason."

It was only when he got back to the bathroom he realised that that was the first time Bill had called him Mason in… well… as long as he could remember without impersonating someone. Dipper didn't really know what that meant but he couldn't stop thinking about it as he got dressed. It was a yellow t-shirt and dark grey pyjama pants covered with small pine trees. It had been a long time since he had worn pyjamas to bed as appose to the clothes that he had been wearing the past day but he wasn't about to complain to the man that could literally kill him with a look.

As he walked back out into the hall his stomach growled annoyingly. He hadn't eaten since this morning and what he had had was now lying under a bush outside and he was feeling rather weak from the days…excitement… and going without anything to keep his strength up. Ford would have scolded him for not packing his lunch but he had been so relieved about hearing from his part-time mentor that he had not only forgotten his lunch but his journal as well.

He had been given the journal by Stan on his last birthday, his excuse was that he needed his own book to write all his nerdy stuff in and stop stealing all the paper in the gift shop to write his crazy nerd stuff on. Paper was expensive he had said as the boy had hugged him before turning the loving embrace into a chokehold. It was blue and had the same tree on in as his hat. He had known by then of course that the pine tree was his chosen symbol on the Cipher Wheel but he loved it anyway, it reminding him of how Ford had put his symbol on his journals.

"It sounds like you're just in time for dinner," Bill said from behind but Dipper ready for this and was able to hind the fact that his heart skipped a beat.

Bill steered the boy to what appeared be the kitchen leading on to a dining room. A plate with eggs and toast was sitting on the counter.

Dipper muttered thanks as he sat down at the table to eat. To his dismay Bill sat across from him, watching him as he ate.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"Don't need to. I am an all-powerful demon with _no_ weakness." Bill quoted himself absentmindedly.

"Yeah… Whatever."

They lapsed back into a silence that was defiantly awkward for Dipper as the only sound was the clink of metal hit china plate. He tried to eat as fast as he could so that he could leave the awful silence. The eggs were well cooked and the toast was a perfect shade of golden-brown. It tasted really good, leading Dipper to question whether Bill had cooked it himself or conjured it up using his all-powerful power. The thought of Bill Cipher cooking eggs evoked a smile to form on his lips as he ate.

"You look different without your hat. I like it," Bill commented, pointing needlessly at Dipper's fringe which had been swept back to dry leaving his birth mark very visible. This coursed Dipper to horridly push his hair forward covering the dipper on his forehead. His face turned bright red with embarrassment. "Tomorrow we have to go to the Mystery Shack to pick up some of your things and tell Fez and your sister about Sixer, you can also explain to them why you're going to live with me, if you want. If you're good I might let you say good-bye to Mabel on the last day of summer. Got it?"

Dipper's mind raced. This was his chance to hatch a plan, to see Mabel, to say he was sorry. His heart leapt at the thought of seeing his sister again, she would be so worried that he hadn't come back yet and if the hospital had ended up contacting them they would know that Bill had Dipper. She would probably stay up for the whole night, unable to sleep, sick with worry, outside with a torch calling his name until she couldn't talk anymore. Seeing him would at least mean that she knew he was alive and safe, for the moment. That's all he could hope for.

"Thank you." He whispered.


	3. Nightmares and Dreams

**Hello. I have a _warning_ for this chapter- _there will be a bit of blood a gore so skip it if you did feel comfortable reading it._**

 **Please review. I always want to know how to make my writing better.**

 **disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls or any of the characters appearing in this story.**

After the eggs on toast Bill led Dipper upstairs just like he had wanted to do for the past ten hours. It was now dark outside and Dipper had an odd sense that the trees were closer to the house than they had been in daylight. They nuzzled up against the house and scratched at the windows like wild animals.

"This is your room and next door is my room so if you need anything just ask okay, kid. Don't stay up too late either, you look exhorted."

Dipper wondered why Bill would need a bedroom if he didn't need sleep. He was probably just making sure that Dipper didn't try to run away. But Dipper wasn't planning on being the one to break his deal and he wasn't planning on staying up any longer. His eyelids drooped and they ached when he tried to force them open. He did even bother cleaning his teeth before climbing under the covers.

"Goodnight Mabel," he whispered sadly to the empty room. There was no answer.

Dipper bolted up out of bed barely suppressing a strangled scream. A cold sweat started running down his face. His nightmare had been a morbid retelling of the previous day's events.

Ford had not recovered from his wounds and had looked at Dipper with hollowed eyes and flesh slowly peeling from his face. Blackened blood had oozed from the rips in his skin. Blood poured onto the floor as what might have once been Ford opened his mouth to speak. The blood was congealed and black as it splattered onto the ground and Dipper's legs making him feel sick.

 _Why did you let this happen to me, Dipper?_ The dead yet not lifeless man had asked in an echoed ghostly voice that didn't quite sound like Ford but still had that gruff sternness that Dipper had memorised. Wendy, Stan and Mabel had joined in after that. Their bodies were dead and decoying not unlike the oldest twin.

Stan had looked twisted and grotesque as he stumbled towards his nephew who, at that moment, wanted nothing more than to run or at the very least scream but he couldn't move and his mouth refused to work.

 _Why did you break the deal, Dipper?_ Stan had asked and Mabel… oh Mabel. Her sweater was drenched in thick, clotted blood; the bones of her hand were visible through the chunks of missing greenish flesh that had been torn away.

 _Why did you let Bill kill us, Dipper?_ Her eyes had been as dead and empty as the others. They surrounded him and he couldn't scream for help.

Wendy had been there too. Her red hair was lank and matted with large clumps missing leaving bold spots of decoying flesh. She too had had ghostly empty eyes and moaned like she was in a great amount of pain. Blood run like rivers down her face from her eyes and her axe had been embedded into her side.

 _Why did you kill us?_

 _Why?_ Stop…

 _Why?_ Please stop.

… _Why?_ Stop it! I didn't mean too…

Bill opened the door and peered in at him, his blue eyes seemed to be smirking at him even though his face was neutral. It was early morning and the room looking as grey and as colourless and the mindscape.

"D-did you do that? Did you m-make them look like that… s-say that?" dipper stuttered trying to string the sentence together in a somewhere cohesive pattern and attempt to understand the psychological mind bend that was the nightmare. It was harder than he thought it would be.

"Nope, I had no part in that awesome dream unfortunately it was your mind that came up with that stuff. I haven't been in the dreamscape for… well… since yesterday actually." He laughed at his own weak joke, not noticing Dipper's trauma. The boy stumbled pasted him, pushing the man out of the way as he fled for the bathroom but Bill caught his arm before he could start to run. He just wanted to lock himself in a room and never come out. He hadn't expected Bill to show sympathy but the least he could do was ask if he was alright. Dipper didn't know what to do with himself, he hated the feeling of powerlessness that Bill always seemed to make him feel. He didn't want to be around the man anymore he wanted to be alone or as Mabel would put it 'Sweater Town.'

"Let go of me!" Dipper screamed, wrenching his arm away from the demon.

Instead of doing what Dipper wanted Bill knelt down and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up at the blonde haired man. Dipper scowled and thought about spitting in his face but then again that might be pushing his luck. Bill didn't look like he was in a good mood.

"I hate anyone telling me what to do. So I suggest for your own safety not to say anything like that again. I get that you hate it here but you live here now so get used to it and stop acting like a baby about it. It was just a dream meaning unless I want it to be real it won't be. Got it?" Bill tightened his grip on his chin, his nails cutting into his skin. He smiled, revealing sharpened fangs. "Oh and I suggest not going back to sleep or the dreams might get worse."

"What did it mean?"

"They're just a side effect from the curse I put on the house. You can't leave without me accompanying you. Your dreams allowed you to leave the house in unconsciousness so the dreams become somewhat… darker than you are used to, that is a precaution to make you stay here." Bill face twisted into what could be called a smile but Bill looked like he was grimacing in pain. The whole expression looked unnatural on his pointed face. "Did you want a…hot chocolate or something?" it was clear that he had had to delve into his pool of knowledge to find out what you would give a child in distress.

"You lock me up at night like some animal and think that it can all be solved with a cup of hot chocolate. I don't know what you've been researching Bill but that's not the right way to go around making me calm down. You say I can't go see Mabel when I ask but when I've given up hope of ever seeing her again you spring the fact that we're going to see her the next day on me like it's no big deal. You constantly interrupt me but as soon as I pitch in too soon you stab a knife into my uncle's leg. He might never recover from that! You can't just think that by keeping me here are acting nice some of the time will make me want to stay because it won't." Dipper took a deep breath as he came to the end of his ranting speech. The events of the previous day plus the vivid nightmares were coursing him to feel tired and aggravated.

"get dressed kid, I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready to head off." Bill's face was void of emotion making Dipper feel uneasy about the ease in which the demon had let his angry rant slide. It was too much to hope for to think that what he had said had resinated with him

Dipper suddenly felt immensely selfish in that moment as he watched Bill slowly descend the stairs. He had only cared about what would happen to him after the deal had been made. He was constantly worrying about his own future and no one else's. The deal he had made only stated that Bill was not to harm Ford but Dipper had forgotten about the two other members of the Pines family as well as any other symbol of the Cipher Wheel. This meant that he could go after anyone Dipper loved if he wanted and why wouldn't he? They had all helped to defeat him last summer. Bill could take his revenge out on them whenever he felt like it.

"I want to make another deal!" Dipper yelled feeling his stomach raise to his throat. He knew he would regret this. But he silently promised himself that he was doing it for the people that he loved and that he wouldn't regret selfless acts like the one he was about to perform.

"Oh, yeah? What do you want Pine Tree; I thought I was suffocated and confusing. That I was caging you like an animal." Bill sounded bitter and sulky like a child being told off by a parent. "Why would you want to make another deal when you have come to regret all of the other ones you've made with me or better yet why would I make a deal with you if you're just going to go sulk about it for the rest of forever."

"I don't want you to hurt any of my family or any of my friends, if you need me to write you a list then I will. And in return for you not hurting anyone I won't complain. We got a deal?"

"What exactly do _I_ get out of this offer?"

"I- I won't complain or yell or… or cry or beg. I won't annoy you anymore. I promise."

"Oh you got yourself a deal there Pine Tree. That sounds great but I have one thing to add…" He paused tapping a finger on his chin in thought.

"Yeah… what?" Dipper waited with baited breathe for the demon to respond.

"I want you to like it here. I want you to have fun with me." Bill grabbed Dipper's chin twisting his neck so that he was looking up at the demon. He caressed the younger's cheek his eyes flicking around the boy's face as if to take in every detail. "I also want you to do what I say. Within reason of course," he laughed. "I'm sure I can forgive you for not jumping off a cliff if I get angry enough to tell you to."

"I don't know if I can do that Bill, it's not realistic, you can't just tell someone to like something that they hate."

"It's that or I can do whatever I want to the other Pines and their little friends," Bill sung holding out his hand, flickering with electric blue flames. "Your chose, kid."

It was mid morning by the time they arrived at the Mystery Shack. There didn't seem to be any tourists around, not that that mattered to Bill. The demon walked in through the gift shop doors as if he owned the place, pleased that he was able to get into the Shack at all. He needn't worry though; Ford had taken down the spell at the end last summer when they rebuilt the Shack. The author did see the importance of a curse to keep out demons when there were no demons to keep out.

Wendy was the only one in the shop and she didn't look up as they walked. She was too busy reading some magazine. All she did when they entered was mutter a half-hearted welcome. She didn't look very happy either. Her make up poorly covered the fact that she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before and her brows were knitted together.

Bill was the first person to greet the red head giving a sly sideways glance at Dipper as if challenging him to try and stop him. Dipper didn't have the energy. He knew that he couldn't hurt and he was just happy to be back in the Shack.

"Heya Toots. Slow morning? Well aren't you glad we're here to liven up your day."

Wendy's head shot up as she registered the words. Dipper could see from where he stood closer to the door Wendy reached for her axe.

"What are you doing here, _filth_?" she snarled, not nearly as phased by Bill new appearance than dipper had been. Then she noticed Dipper. The sixteen year old leapt smoothly over the counter almost kicking Bill in the face. She ran towards him, arms out stretched and giving a yell of excitement. "Dipper you came back!"

"Wendy," he whizzed. "…Can't breathe."

"Sorry man," she said as she released him and punching him soft on the arm. "We were all so worried about you dude. You just up and left and you didn't even take your journal, did you at leas find Mr Pines- I mean Ford?"

"Yeah but, um, Bill… stabbed him and we had to take him to the hospital. I'm sorry I worried you guys but I wasn't allowed to come… back to the Shack."

"So this is all because of him?" She asked coldly. She turn to face Bill. He was leaning against the counter watching the teenagers' interaction with a knowing smirk.

"Guilty as charged but I must say that Pine Tree painted me as the sadistic villain unfairly and that I'm hurt. I only stabbed old Sixer to get the kid's attention."

"You sick twisted-"

"Thank you but flattery will get you nowhere with me. And don't even think about trying to hurt my new body or no deal well save you from the horrors I will do to you, Red." His eyes had darkened and his body flickered to show his true form. Wendy stepped backwards to stand in front of Dipper. It was the first time he could remember Wendy looking scared. " _Don't_ think I'm buffing."

"Wendy, can you go get Mabel, I really want to see her."

"Sure, dude. But I'm not letting you stay in a room with _him_ alone," she jabbed a finger at Bill in disgust.

Dipper nodded in agreement. He didn't really want to stay in the same room as Bill either, he had spent the last twenty-four hours being near him and he wanted to get away even if it was only to go up to his shared room in the attic. They began to walk together past Bill and towards the stairs.

"Dipper, stop."

He stopped, hating himself as he did so.

"Turn around."

He turned, swearing under his breathe.

"Dude, what-"

"Come here."

Dipper took a few slow steps towards the demon like a dead man towards his noose and stopped a foot from him. Bill didn't like this and pulled his closer. His body heat made Dipper feel far too hot as he squirmed in discomfort. Bill spun him around to face the red head. She looked utterly stunned, rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The demon's hand snaked around Dipper's neck coursing him to squirm even harder to try and escape from the odd position that he was forced to keep his head in.

"I'm sure you can go collect Shooting Star by yourself, Red. What do you think, Pine Tree?" Bill hissed squizzing the boy's neck tightly.

Wendy looked like she wanted to intervene but she was too shocked to move any closer to the demon who was holding her friend in a death grip.

"Just… go!" Dipper whizzed, waving her away.

Once she was out of sight Bill let him go and Dipper collapsed, gasped loudly trying to get air back into his lungs.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, Pine Tree."

"Me? Dramatic? What was that- you didn't have to do that and you know it."

"Yeah but it was funny! Did you see the look on her face? Priceless!" Bill laughed wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

They stood in silence as they waited for Mabel to come down from her room. It worried Dipper that she wasn't helping out in the shop like they normally would on days like these. It meant that Soo and Grunkle Stan had let her get out of work, which was very abnormal. Bill was actively making himself at home, stepping out of the shop and into the lounge room where he sat himself down on the only arm chair in the room. He called for Dipper to follow him and he did, standing awkwardly off to the side waiting pensively for his sister to come downstairs.

A scream coursed both of them to look up towards the ceiling. Dipper knew that it was Mabel but it scared him. Why was she screaming? Was she scared of Bill having she brother or was she excited about seeing her brother again? Dipper had no idea what Wendy would tell her or if she would say anything at all. Wendy, after all, was very good at keeping secrets. Dipper shot an accusatory glance at Bill who was lying longways across the couch, his legs dangling over the edge, the demon shrugged as if to say it wasn't his fault.

They listened as quick footsteps made there away across the floor above them and down the stairs. Mabel saw Dipper and let out another scream leaping at him like a monkey.

"Calm down Mabel! I was only away for one night." Dipper's voice sounded muffled in his sister's arms.

"But Dipper! It was the worst night ever! I missed you so much we didn't know where you were and then we got some guy from the hospital this morning coming in and saying that they had Ford! But that they didn't know where you were! And-"

"Mabel, its ok, I'm here now."

"Don't give her false hope Pine Tree, we're not staying."

Mabel turned around to see Bill smirking at the bother of them from the arm chair.

"Bill!"

"Oh no! Not Bill!" Bill cried, mocking her high-pitched voice.

"What did you do to my brother you isosceles monster, I thought we killed you."

"Well for starters I can't be killed by you flesh bags, secondly I am not an isosceles, I'm an equilateral and lastly I haven't done anything to little Pine Tree. He wanted to make to deal."

"The what?" Mabel looked back at Dipper. He was looking at the ground and gripping her hands painfully tight. "Dipper, you didn't, did you?"

"I'm sorry Mabel, it was either me or Ford and I couldn't let Ford die. Not when I could do something to stop it."

"But what do you mean?" Dipper could tell that his sister really didn't understand. She didnt understand why he had left her alone the night before and she didn't understand why her was wearing a yellow shirt and black jeans instead of his usual red top and blue vest. She didn't want to understand why Bill was still alive or why he was sitting in their living room acting like he had living there his whole life.

"I… I can't stay Mabel. I have to go with Bill."


	4. Hugs And Tears

**Hello! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I was writing Ford and God it made me sad. I love their relationship, I think it's really cute how much they respect each other.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney because if I did I would make Princess Unattainabelle an official Disney princess. He deserves it.**

"But- but why?" Mabel cried pulling harshly at her hair as she glared at Bill. Tears were welling up threatening to spill over. "Why do you want my brother? You're not allowed to have him I'm not going to let you."

"Wow. For a shooting star you are not the brightest thing in the sky, are you Shooting Star?" Bill laughed loudly, sitting up straighter in the chair.

"Bill please don't..." Dipper muttered as he grabbed Mabel, stopping her from stepping towards the demon. She had had no qualms with teasing Bill even in the Weirdmageddon and he didn't want her getting hurt now after he had sacrificed his life for her. "Mabel please you've got to listen to me, I know you're upset but you have to understand what's going on here. Wendy, do you know where Stan is? I think he should be here to listen to this." And although Dipper didn't say it out loud it was clear that he wanted to see his Grunkle for what might be the last time.

"He isn't here dude, he and Soos went to go see Ford in hospital, they left just before you got here and I don't know when they'll be back. Sorry man… maybe some other time."

"Hah! That's funny Red, since when did you have a say in what _my_ Pine Tree did?"

"Dipper isn't yours! He's my brother and he has to stay with me!" Mabel screamed in the demons face balling her fists.

"Come over here, kid." Bill smirked as he beckoned the boy.

"Bill, please, I need to at least comfort her. You-" Dipper pleaded wriggling in his tight grip.

"I said, come here!" Bill shrieked as he held out his hand waiting for the boy to take it.

Dipper stood and walked towards Bill giving an apologetic smile to Mabel as he stepped past her. It was safer for her if he did what he was told especially since Bill could decide at any time that he wanted revenge on them more than he wanted his obedience. He took Bill's hand as if to shake his hand. He knew what would happen next. The man pulled him closer until he was sitting in the demon's lap. Bill's arms snaked around his waist forcing him to stay.

"Dipper, you promised me that you would stay with me." Mabel looked up at him but Dipper couldn't even look her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry Mabel but I have to do this. I need to protect you and Stan and Ford. I need to protect everyone I love," he looked at Wendy sadly.

"That's why heroes in my world end up dead… or turned to gold. Pine Tree is simply paying the price for his heroism."

"Bill, is Wendy allowed to call Stan and tell him that I'm here? I want to see him before we go," Dipper asked looking up at the blonde haired man.

"I don't see why not since you asked so nicely," Bill smiled, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Wendy could you…?" Dipper began.

"Already on it dude," Wendy winked as she walked out of the room pulling out her phone. She wasn't smiling.

"Dipper, why aren't you staying? I don't want you to go. This is worse than you leaving me for Ford but you're leaving me for him," Mabel whined, pointing a finger at the dream demon.

"You really don't get it, do you, Shooting Star?" Bill shook his head pulling Dipper closer to him. "He's doing this for you and you don't even thank him. Geez kid I thought I taught you a listen last time Dipper was my puppet."

"Bill can I get down, please?" Dipper growled noticing the tears falling down his sister's face. "You're making this worse than it has to be."

"Yeah, yeah whatever kid. I'm helping you, the more detached you become the better it will be later. But go ahead, be with her. Don't blame me for the pain you feel later." Bill let go and Dipper stumbled to hug his sister again.

"Please don't leave me." Mabel grabbed onto his shirt in a death grip, not wanting to let her only brother and best friend go. They had spent their whole live together and although that wasn't that long overall she never expected him to be taken away from him so soon. She didn't want to become like Ford and Stan had been when Ford first came through the portal. They had been dysfunctional and rude and even down right cruel to one another. She knew that that had been because they had never been able to explain themselves to one another and that they were ripped apart so soon after being brought together again. But their reaction to one another had scared her.

"I'm sorry Mabel. I have no chose." Dipper whispered, not doing anything to stop her from stretching his shirt. She had never been very good at her emotions and would let them go out of control in situations like these. Not that there had been many situations like this in the past. In any case he felt the same as she did.

"But you promised," she cried, pulling roughly on his shirt.

"I know and I'm so sorry." He pulling her into another hug and stroked her hair comfortingly as she cried into his neck. Her face felt feverish on his skin. He hoped that she wouldn't get herself ill from all this stress and worry…and sorrow. It was agonising to feel like he couldn't do anything to stop the way she felt.

They didn't break their hold on each other for another five minutes and wouldn't have broken it at all if it wasn't for Wendy who came in holding the phone; she held it out for dipper to take and whispered to him that it was Ford. He was awake and he wanted to talk to his Part time apprentice for what might be the last time. No one knew what the future held. Dipper took the phone and held it to his ear in a death grip.

"Hey Ford, how are you doing?"

"Are you really asking how I am doing young man?" He asked incredulously. "Get those thoughts out of your head right now! How could you possibly be thinking of me when you made that stupid deal? How could you give your life up for mine? Dipper you are far more important than I ever was. I was not worth your life." Dipper could hear angry yelling in the background and he would have laughed at the fact that Stan was being so adamant that his brother's life meant less than anyone else's. But in that moment Dipper felt like crying yet again for the second two in less than twenty-four hours and he hated it. His throat ached painfully as he replied.

"I-I'm so sorry Ford I didn't mean to b-but I couldn't see any other w-way! I don't want you to be angry with m-me. I'm so s-sorry…" Dipper trailed off. He felt comforting arms around him and looked down to see Mabel clutching onto. It was her turn to hug him until he stopped crying.

"Dipper, no! That is not what I meant at all I just don't want you throwing your life away for mine. I am sorry if I sounded angry I am just scared for you Bill could do anything to you now that he has you in his clutches. He is driven by revenge and won't stop until he gets it. I don't want you to suffer for the mistakes I made as a young and witless man." Ford confessed kindly. Dipper could hear someone in the background shouting loudly; _you got that right Sixer!_ "Shut up Stanley, I'll give you back the telephone when I am done. Don't be rude." _Yes mum,_ came the reply.

"I didn't want you to die Great-uncle Ford. I guess I really am a stupid hero."

"Yes Dipper you are a hero but that doesn't make you stupid, why would you even think that?" Ford wanted so badly to reach through the small piece of modern technology and wrap the boy in a hug.

"Because that's what Bill says," Dipper sniffed sadly.

"Don't you ever listen to a word that demon says! He is a liar and a cheat and he will do or say anything to make you doubt yourself."

"Hey! I can hear what your spouting IQ! Don't make me come back to that hospital and stab your other leg because I will," Bill yelled over Dipper's shoulder into the receiver.

"Bill, you said you won't hurt anyone that I love, so please don't threaten my family with false threats." Dipper whispered harshly, holding a hand over the receiver so that Ford would hear him.

"Don't you dare hurt Dipper, you monster or I swear I will find you! There would not be a dimension you could hind in, we will find you and make you pay."

"Oooh! I'm shaking in my boots Sixer." Bill glared at Dipper and held out his hand waiting for the phone to be handed to him. It was clear he didn't want Dipper to be talking to his Grunkles any longer. "I hope you don't get offended or anything IQ but I must admit Dipper is a far better puppet then you ever were," Bill laughed.

"Why you little-"

"I'm sorry Great-uncle Ford but I have to go I hope I can see Stan before I have to leave. Come quickly Stan. Goodbye Ford. I hope one day I get to see you again."

"Don't make it sound like you're going to die boy. I will see you again so for now I will leave you with a 'see you later' and nothing more, okay?"

"Okay," Dipper mumbled rubbing his red eyes before another wave of tears fell.

The phone went dead in his hand. He dropped it a crumpled into a ball beside it. Despite his effort the tears came any way. He felt like terrible for crying like a baby in front of Wendy. It didn't really matter anyway. He was never going to see her again.

He felt arms wrap around him lifting him off the ground in one swift movement.

"I think its best if we go pack some of his things now," came a voice from above. He heard a shuffling noise of someone else standing up. "Alone."

He felt himself being carried up the flight of rickety stairs and across the landing to the room that he had shared with Mabel. He was placed back on his feet to face the room with its large triangular window and two beds. The one on the left was well made with books and pens littering the covers and the one on the right was messy and covered in lots of stuffed animals and a sleeping pig.

"Hey kid, is the pig on your list of friends?" Bill asked stepping towards the sleeping animal like a predator hunting it's pray, a ball of fire forming in his hand.

"No Bill! You can't kill my sister's pig she would be the one to hunt you down through dimensions if you did that." Dipper grabbed his arm to try and stop the flame.

"Too bad," he shrugged, turning away from Waddles. "So what do you want to take with you? You can take anything you want but you have to show it to me first." Bill explained waving a hand over the boy's side of the room.

Dipper picked up his journal, centred in the pine tree was a inky black one. He flicked through it quickly, seeing how little he had written in it. He guessed that if he was going to find a positive thing about staying with Bill was that he would fill he book up in no time. He turned and held out the book for the demon to take in silence. He didn't have anything to say.

"Hah! Should have known that you would have your own little nerd journal. You're so much like him it almost scares me. It really does," Bill laugh yet again wiping an imaginary tear of mirth from his eye.

"Can I take it?" Dipper asked sheepishly.

Bill flicked through the pages of the book, taking care not to miss any pages. He didn't want to find any spells or curses that could be used against him in it. There were pages on Unicorns, the Blind Eye, infinite dice, few of the things he had found on his own in Piedmont and Bill Cipher himself which explain how bad he was and that he could cause the end of the world. Bill laughed at the sick irony as a twinge of something went through him that he couldn't describe. After he had looked through the pages he nodded and gave the book back.

"I don't see why not."

Dipper muttered a thanks before running off to collect pens and extra pages to put in a bag. After he had done that he set about looking through his clothes. He grabbed a few red and orange shirts and well and as some green and some blue along with his favourite vent. He also packed a few pairs of shorts and a pair of long pants.

After an hour of packing, it took that long because Bill wanted to see _everything,_ Dipper zipped up the bag and stood looking around the room for what might be the last time. He walked over to Waddles and grabbed his in a big hug. He knew he was just a pig but Dipper would miss all the memories that came with him.

"Before we go back down stairs I wanted to talk to you about all of this." He waved his hand around the room and at Dipper himself. The demon looked unsure of how to put what he was going to say.

"Yeah?" he sounded overly hopeful as he stepped towards the well-dressed man.

"This won't be the least time you will be seeing them. I will bring you back here every so often. That is so you can see your sister before she goes home. So don't get too depressed because people who are depressed are no fun," Bill pouted. Dipper could see that there was some other reason but he wasn't quite sure what it was. He was never very good at reading faces like his sister.

"And after that?" Dipper asked, hugging his journal tightly to his chest.

"We'll see, wont we. You've been very good today so if you keep it up I might let you see them once a year maybe."

Dipper stood there silently from a few more minutes working the information over in his head, trying to make sense of any of it. It didn't make any sense. No matter how you looked at it.

"I'm waiting for an answer kid. A 'thank you' at the very least."

"Why did you pick me? Why do you want me? Why does everything you say make no senses?" Dipper huffed. He felt like he was on the verge of hysteria. It was too hot in the attic; he was becoming sweaty and red faced with frustration at the idea that he couldn't solve this mystery alone. That he had to be told what was going on. "I don't understand so you'll have to explain it to me. If you wanted revenge you could have killed all of us. You were back and no one knew making it the perfect time to strike. Why do you want to keep one of us? Why did you make that deal with me if you want to kill all of us? It-it just makes no sense to me!"

Bill pulled Dipper into what could have been a hug but was in no way comforting to the boy.

"Hah! I like you kid, you come up with some good sadistic plans but you see that would be far too easy. It would be painless and that's no fun. I want to torture you and your little family. And the better any to do that is to split you apart. I mean, did you see the look on Shooting Star's face?! Hilarious!" Bill whispered into his ear even though they were the only two people in the room.

"Why me though? It could have been anyone else."

"Oh Pine Tree I thought you were the selfless one. It sounds like you would prefer it if wasn't you in this position."

"No it's not that I promise it's just that… I'm the lamest one out of everyone in the Cipher Wheel and I thought you would want someone who you liked. Like Ford or something."

"What gave you the idea that I didn't like you or that I liked Six Fingers. I was just using him to get what I wanted. We weren't friends. And you're not lame kid; in fact you're the least lamest meat sack I know," Bill laughed at the boy patting him of the back twice. He noticed the boy in his arms cringe away from his touch. For Dipper it painful reminder of a sibling hug. " _Pat…_ _pat_."


	5. A Vengeful Goodbye

**Hello guy, girls and in-betweeners! its been a productive couple of weeks but the holidays are almost over which means the posting of this story might become erratic. Sorry about that but VCE is time consuming.**

 **Disclaimer: I hope to one day have my name on the title card of a show but Gravity Falls is not the one, so sadly I cannot say I own it.**

Stan was waiting with the others when they got back down stairs. They were all huddled at the bottom their ears strained clearly waiting a cry or scream to call them upstairs to help. They obviously thought that Bill would decide to kill him. They didn't trust him and Dipper was thankful for that, he didn't trust him either and he would make sure Bill wasn't close enough to touch him unless Dipper was asked to come closer. He had no chose but to go to him if he was asked, he couldn't let Bill hurt his family.

He had to try and make it look like he wanted to be with the demon. They both knew that he was just acting but Bill knew that if you tell a lie long enough you start to believe it yourself.

They all gave a sigh of relief when they saw the boy clamber down the stair carrying his duffle bag full of clothes and his backpack full of his pens, note and his beloved journal. Of course he would gladly give up the book if he could have his life back. But that wasn't an option for him. It was his life for the lives of everyone he loved.

Stan looked incredibly tired like he hadn't slept at all last night. His hair was ruffled and unkempt and his suit was crimped. He wasn't wearing a ratty pullover that looked like it belonged to Ford and a pair of shorts instead of his suit for tours or even the clothes that he had taken to wearing after he came back with Ford. Of course they could still be told apart but now that they had the same haircut and dressing styles it to a close call and it came down to either the amount of fingers they had or the amount of fake curse words they could fit into a sentence.

"Bag check for Stan's eyes," Dipper smiled weakly up at his Grunkle he was repeating the line that he had used last summer in a situation that was a lot like the one they were in now, only worse. This time no amount of tickles could solve the mess they were in.

The older man wrapped Dipper in a warm comforting hug with a chuckle. He was quickly joined by Mabel who squeezed his waist happily as she nuzzled into his chest. He could hear Stan snuffle quietly as the man held back tears. Dipper gave him a quick squeeze as if to say that he knew that he was crying and that he didn't mind. Stan understood and squeezed back and pulled back to smile down at him. Puffy red eyes looked into puffy red eyes.

"Hey kid. Sorry I was here for you. I'm sorry I couldn't have been there to help you." Stan's gruff voice seemed to echo in his ears. They both knew that was in no way true. Stan had had no idea where Dipper was going the morning beforehand because Dipper hadn't told him. He hadn't even told Mabel where he was really going. That had been part of the notes rules. The note he now knew was written by Bill through Ford's hand. 'Tell no one. Trust no one.' This in itself should have caused him to theorise about why his Grunkle wouldn't want anyone to know or tell him to trust no on when they had had many lengthy discussions about trusting your family.

"It's alright Grunkle Stan, I know. But you can't blame yourself, you couldn't have known." Dipper couldn't find it in himself to blame anyone but himself even though that was also true. They should have tried to find Bill body which had turn into a cool grey stone statue. He had been a ghost of who he really was yet something that still had the power to destroy them all and they still had no idea how he had been freed from his prison of stone. It was possible Bill himself only had a small idea of how he had been freed and was just using his unexpected power and freedom to his advantage.

"I knew my brother would put you in danger and won't be able to get you out," Stan muttered. A flown creased his face twisting it into an emotion that Dipper knew all too well when his Grunkle's talked about one another. It was a mixture between love and loyalty with the smallest hint of mistrust.

"It's not his fault," Dipper's voice was muffled from Mabel's hair. He looked up to Ford and his respect for the six fingered man was unspoken but very real. He didn't blame him for any of this and although he had made mistakes in the past he had learnt and overcome them and that's what Dipper respected to most. He didn't want his Grunkle to doubt his brother when they were getting along so well after their trip together.

"Yeah you're right, if it's anyone's fault it's his," he growled pointing a wrinkled finger at Bill who poked out his tongue at the old man, returning his glare. "How are you even here, you monster?"

"Well that would be telling wouldn't it," the demon smirked.

"I'll see if he tells me how later. I'm sure he won't keep it from me. He likes to brag about stuff like that." Dipper whispered into his Grunkle's ear before the man could become angry at the demon.

"Don't think I didn't hear that, Pine Tree!" Bill screeched in reply from his place on the stair.

"Heh, you do that kid, just… watch your back," he gestured over his shoulder and Dipper knew he was talking about. It was the branding on his back that Dipper had theorised to be a tattoo of so long.

Bill slid down the banister until he reached the bottom. He put his arms around him and pulled him away from the old man and the girl. Dipper didn't struggle as Bill lifted him into his own hug forcing him to drop his bags on the ground. Dipper heard a cracking sound coming from inside the baffle bag. He let out a low whimper. He knew it was the picture frame of the photo they had all taken on the first day of this summer.

He loved the photo, it was the only one he had with both the mystery twins and the adventure twins together and happy and accompanied by Wendy, Soos and of course Waddles. It had been a miracle that bill had let him take it as he thought he would be barred from anything that reminded him of his family. But Bill had simply shrugged and told him to remember their deal.

He wriggled to show that he wanted to be put down to rescue the image but Bill just held on tighter. Dipper stopped trying to escape. He could tell that Bill knew what had been broken and was testing him to see whether he would break their deal or not. The question: would he tend to the picture of his family of let Bill held on to him and not let go.

"Just don't hurt them," he whispered, letting his head rest against the demon's neck. He heard Mabel lapse back into tears again behind him.

"You're such a good little puppet." Bill purred loudly, stroking his hair. Dipper wanted to cry again. He wouldn't lie and say that he wanted to go with this man. He didn't want to have to live with him. It would be almost bearable when he knew that he might see Mabel again soon but once summer was over he wouldn't be able to lie at all. He knew he couldn't; there was no way he would survive that. Looking back on every time he had faced Bill, he had never faced him alone, not without Mabel. She was the kitten fists, the tickles, the boundless optimism and the grappling hook. He had never been without her. They were the Mystery Twins. The twins that would never be split apart by fighting and hatred like the Adventure Twins before them. They had learnt from the older twin's mistakes and wouldn't let history repeat itself. In a sick twisted ways history wasn't repeating but choosing a darker path for him that would split them apart whether they liked it or not.

Silent tears fall down his cheeks but they were quickly wiped away as Bill out him back on the ground with a warning look. He was warning to put on a face, to make it look like he wanted to go.

"Welp, I think we should be going now, what do you think, kid?" the demon patted Dipper in the back but he couldn't feel it. He was too busy trying not to look at anyone or cry.

"Um… y-yeah I guess w-we better go. S-see you around okay," He tried to smile but it felt fake. He hiccupped as his body starting to shake with the effort.

He picked up the fallen bag and hugged it to his chest.

"I don't want you to leave Bro-bro! I'll go instead! I'll go with Bill. I don't want you to be with him. I don't want him to hurt you!" Mabel cried as she clutched at Stan's legs.

Dipper supposed he shouldn't have been shocked by Mabel's selfless act but it was very unlike her. He knew that Bill had been somewhat right about how Mabel always wanted goal achieved over others even if that was winning and pig or getting a boy to like her. But that was who she was. Everyone had their flaws and he still loved her unconditionally for everything else.

"Make like a shooting star and crash to the ground in flames," Bill hissed as Mabel came too close. "Why would I want you? I want Dipper because I like him more than you! I'm not swapping him for a cry baby like you little girl!"

"Bill, don't say that to my sister! You promised you wouldn't hurt anyone and that means hurting them on the inside."

"Well you got me there Pine Tree!" Bill laughed after a second of deliberation. "We never said it would be limited to physical pain, did we? Too bad," he pouted impishly. "Sorry Shooting Star, I just don't like you! Don't take it personal."

God Dipper hated the Dream Demon in every way.

He hated the way the demon could just do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. He could take a stroll through Stan's mind and almost destroy in, twice! He could manipulate Dipper to give up his body to be used as a puppet by simply using sly word play and, as Dipper had realised later, a dream where the laptop was counting down the time he had to recover the information before it was erased. He could deceive Mabel into giving up the rift just so she could have the summer of her dreams. He could torture his Great-uncle for information and become the reason for his other Grunkle's Alzheimer's.

"Can I at least give him a hug?" Mabel whispered looking up at the man with large doe-like eyes that were still watering despite the fact that she had almost been crying for the entire time Dipper had been there.

"I think he's all hugged out." Bill growled at her, pulling the boy towards the door.

"Mabel, I'm sorry but it isn't safe. See you later," Dipper smiled sadly as he was led towards the door. He turned back as he reached it and gave them all a cheerful wave. It wouldn't be forever and he knew that. He would come back. He didn't know when but he knew he would and then they would come up with a plan to break the deal no one getting hurt.

"Don't follow us or I will disassemble your molecules without thinking twice about it! This time I won't be stopped by good old Fordsie trying to be a hero! Nothing and no one can make me stop if I want something!" The demon hissed with a glare at Mabel who shrank into her Grunkle's arms. _Not even a stupid little deal that I made just to stop you from annoying me with your screams in the middle of the night. Don't get me wrong I love the sound of screaming flesh bags but it gets to a point where even the funniest of jokes can become fickle._ Bill thought hurriedly as he turned away from disgusting family with their stupid love and endless amounts of hugs. _I should have just killed you all when I felt like it._

Bill grabbed Dipper's hand and held onto it, swinging it slightly. He didn't try to pull away from the contact. They walked together towards the forest in silence until they were out of sight of the shack.

"This time I won't be stopped by good old Fordsie trying to be a hero! Nothing and no one can make me stop if I want something not even a stupid little deal that I made just to stop you from annoying me with your screams in the middle of the night. Don't get me wrong I love the sound of screaming flesh bags but it gets to a point where even the funniest of jokes can become fickle."

"Do you want to walk home or take a short cut?" Bill asked.

"Can I walk to the house alone?" Dipper looked up pleadingly, his eyes large and watery. He wanted time to think, time to breath.

"Don't ask stupid questions!" The demon screeched angrily, looking down on the boy and gripping his hand tightly.

"I want to walk back to the house then," Dipper grunted lifting that bag higher onto his shoulder as it began to slip.

"It's your home now."

"Why did you have to act like that back there? I mean you were just doing it to hurt them; you weren't doing it because you want me to be with you. I can tell that you don't like me even though I'm your 'favourite meat sack' and I know that you're only doing it to hurt them." Dipper commented, trying to change the subject. He didn't want to talk about homes and houses and he was still angry at the demon being aggressive and overly possessive back at the Shack.

"Then why do you ask?" He said in mock innocence as if oblivious of what he had done and how it might be seen as annoying or bad.

"Because I don't understand why you're hurting them." Dipper yelled, stomping his foot on the ground allowing the jarring pain to radiate though his body. He was tired, drained of emotion and sick of bill treating him like a child. He was thirteen now! He was technically a teenager so the demon had no right to act like he didn't know how to tie his own shoes. It was a simple question, the least he could do was answer it.

"Why? Why! Because you humiliated me in front of my friends. You tricked me! You made me weak! You made me get stuck here!" Bill screeched in his shrill voice with a pointed glared in his direction.

"Why is that a bad thing?" Dipper asked, looking over at the demon warily as if worried that he might lash out at him in anger. He wouldn't be surprised as the demon seemed a little unstable at the moment or in fact any time really now that Dipper thought about it.

"Because I don't have anything here... without my friends and Weirdmageddon I don't have enough power to destroy this dimension. Yeah I have amazing power and I could kill everyone in this town but I still can't leave and I tried to get it out of Sixer's mind but it wasn't there! It was like he had used that stupid memory gun on himself!"

"But it doesn't work on him." Dipper frowned as he thought though how this could have happened. He wished to could have known about it to ask his Great-uncle when he had the chance.

"I know! And I don't understand it! It frustrates me!" Bill snarled like a wild animal that had been kept in a cage for too long. His eyes glowed red, a tell-tale sign that he was pissed off. His teeth were like fangs as he hissed the last few words: "and now because of _him_ I can't leave!"

Dipper felt a flash off understanding about Bill's motives now. It was revenge. Pure pay back. Granted Bill had told him this but now the boy knew why he had chosen this form of punishment over the others. He wanted Dipper to feel trapped in an unescapable prison. He wanted Dipper to know how it felt to be alone and helpless, unable to get back to the place he belonged. He wanted them all to suffer for his suffering.

"I know first-hand that revenge is underrated." Dipper stated absentmindedly, remembering a time when he wanted to get one up on Pacifica and had laughed at her screams of indignation. He now felt hollow inside.

"Yes, Pine Tree. _Yes it is…_ "


	6. Pain Is NOT Funny

The house was exactly the same as how they had left it. The lights were all on despite the fact that the sunny was still visible over the tops of the mountains that surrounded them. Dipper walked in and was about to dump his bags of the floor when Bill pipped up annoyingly. He told him to take his things up to his room because he didn't want his stuff hanging around the house.

Dipper only nodded. He had come crashing down from the high of seeing his family. He went to climb up to his room when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to face the demon who was smiling at him like he was about to slit his throat. That wasn't that farfetched in Dipper's opinion, he trusted Bill even less than he trusted a rabid dog. He bent his head sub-curiously, in a weak attempt to protect his neck.

"I'll let you keep that book in your room but I have some rules if you want to keep it in your room."

"Okay… What?" Dipper mumbled, clutching the straps of his bag which held his blue and silver journal. He wondered how would Ford reason? What would Mabel scream? Or how Grunkle Stan would try to punch his way out. He was sure they wouldn't let Bill boss them around even if they had no chose. They would fight, talk back to the demon with crude remarks that would cut deep to any human. Dipper wanted to be that strong, that independent; that powerful. He wished he was like them, but he wasn't. He wasn't any weaker but he wasn't very good with comebacks. What else could he have said to the man that could split his atoms apart with a click of his fingers?

"First of all if you write anything in there I want to know about it which means I want to read it every week," Bill frowned at Dipper's reaction. The boy had clutched violently at the bag as if he thought it would be taken from him. "This means if there is any writing in it that I don't like you can say goodbye to that stupid thing. Secondly, don't think you can just hind away in your room all day writing in it. You live with me now so you might as well get used to it. If you don't… well I don't see why you can't sleep in the living room, I mean I don't have to sleep so don't count on having any privacy."

"Okay," Dipper turned back and ran up the stairs hating himself the whole way. He didn't really have anything to say. They were basic rules and although the first one scared him a little the second one could have gone without saying. He didn't expect to have a lot of privacy here. Bill, being who he was, wasn't big on privacy or personal space for that matter.

Dipper reached the landing and let out a shaky sigh. He would have to get used to all this if he was going to live here for the rest of his life. The thought made him shiver again. Dipper closed the door to the bedroom that was given to him and fall against it. He pulled off his bag and grabbed his journal, flipped to a new paper and stared writing.

 _Bill Cipher:_

 _Bill Cipher has returned and has re-entered the stone body that had been lost and forgotten in the forest of Gravity Fall. He has changed his form from looking like a triangle to take a somewhat human shape but he still retains all his power and intelligence that is beyond our dimension. It is unknown why he has taken the shape of a human when he constantly makes it known that he wants to destroy our dimension._

 _I only have one theory that could explain why this could be:_

 _Theory: Bill Cipher may have chosen that shape because he wants me to be at ease around him._

 _Statue: unlikely as everything else he does makes me uneasy._

 _He looks really… human… I mean if you didn't know that he is Bill Cipher you wouldn't realise it's him. That's scary; he could trick people into trusting him simply because they would have no idea it's him. I'm afraid he might hurt someone or hurt me. He said that he wouldn't hurt my family, which I don't know if I can trust, I mean he did break the laptop when he said he was going to give me the password, but he never said he wouldn't hurt me…I don't want to get hurt._

Dipper sketched a human shaped Bill in the corner of the book as he thought about what to say next. All of Bill's angles seemed to be very pointed as if he still wanted to look triangular and the sight of two eyes was unnerving despite the fact that he knew that it was just an illusions. He really didn't want to get hurt but he didn't know whether he should put that in the book. Bill did say he was going to look through it and he might use this weakness against him. He did not want Bill finding out yet another way to being him to his knees, next thing he knew he might be tickled to death by the dream demon. He hated the fact the Mabel had reveal that fact to defeat him when the demon was in his body.

Once he was done with the drawing he continued:

 _He has become unable to start a Weirdmageddon as he is unable to reach his own dimension. He is stuck in this dimension. He still has most if not all of his power but seems reluctant or bored using it as if it is no fun to him if he is not using it to scare, trick, torture or amaze someone. Because of this I have tried not to show any emotion towards him using his magic so he sees it as unnecessary. I theorise that he doesn't have to same almost of power he had last year in the Weirdmageddon. This may be because he gets some of his power from his dimension but I can't be sure and it's only a theory._

 _Because of this he has become vengeful and has decided to take revenge out of the members of the Cipher Wheel. I made a deal with him I protect them but in turn I have to stay with him. He brought me to a house to the north of both the Shack and the town. If I tried to get out then I wouldn't probably get lost despite the fact that I know a lot about this forest, I don't know much about the northern parts._

Ford has made it clear that the forest to the north was too dangerous for him to be alone in it at his age. Of course the Author had journeyed with him to look for things to study but they had never gone that far and he had never been left alone.

 _There is also a barrier around the house so I can't leave. I can only leave when I'm with Bill which means I'm stuck here._

 _His emotions are erratic and he can easily be angered by movements, statements, or questions that he doesn't like._ _ **Remember**_ _to think about everything that is said and done around him. It is unknown whether I will be hurt directly or others will be hurt if precautions aren't taken to prevent him becoming angry!_

 _Weaknesses: NONE!_

He noted the irony of the fact that almost as soon as he had written the last sentence he heard Bill calling him from down stairs. He closed the book and hind it under the bed. He didn't want Bill snooping around in his stuff. He went down stairs and found Bill who was sitting at the kitchen table sipping a mug of what might have been tea but it could also be something magical that Dipper didn't understand. He had never seen the demon eat or drink anything that was eatable to him.

"Can you eat human food?" Dipper asked, tugging on a strand of hair anxiously.

"Ha, why do you want to know? Want to put more information about me in that little nerd book of yours?"

"Maybe. I'm just curious…" He mumbled, staring at the ground intently.

"No and I don't want to, just looking at the stuff grosses me out, if I could be grossed out," he chuckled. And I didn't call you down here to be asked questions. I wanted to know what you eat can't have you starving now can I?"

"Well um… Mabel and I loved making tacos and omelettes and pizzas but… I don't know whether I want to do that now." Dipper looked away, his eyes burning. He hated it when his body betrayed him like this. He didn't want to cry alone here with a demon that would grant him no sympathy.

"God kid you are sappy! Get over Shooting Star now." He slammed the mug of liquid down on the table with a bang that made the boy jump, flinching back violently as if he thought he was going to be hit. "I don't want to tell you twice. You're not going see her in a while so I suggest you get used to it before I get mad."

"Okay," Dipper yelped, standing up straighter.

Bill burst into hysterical laughter as Dipper backed away. He flowed above the table clutching his stomach as if to ward off a stitch. Dipper stayed silent as Bill slowly calmed himself down enough to sit back down in his seat. He glared at the boy who had backed up against the wall beside the door. He gestured to the sit in front of him. Dipper knew better than refuse so he stepped forwards with as much courage that he could muster. He hated Bill erratic behaviour; it scared him half to death.

"You are so adorable Pine Tree, it's so sickening." Bill growled with no trace of mirth in his high pitched echoing voice. "I'll ask again. What do you want to eat?"

The question was full of cold venom. Bill seemed to have had enough of Dipper's feelings and just wanted to get stuff done. Well Dipper had had enough of him too.

"Why don't you just let me starve? I don't want to live here with you anyway," Dipper asked evenly, staring the man down. He felt like slapping himself in the face. How could he be so stupid? Not ten minutes ago he had written in his journal that you shouldn't antagonise the dream demon and look what he had done. It was going to be a long eternity.

A sharp pain shot through him arm causing to let out a high pitched shriek. He looked down to see a fork had been planted in his arm which had been resting on the table. He watched in shock as blood oozed out of the holes in his skin. The area around the fork was quickly turning a scary shade of purple. His arm twisted and more pain shot up his arm.

"Too bad!" He snarled.

Dipper started to scream. He screamed until he had no voice his screaming overrode every other noise apart from the pounding of his heart and blood roared in his ears. He fell sideways onto the floor with a thud. He clutched at his hand like if he held onto it tight enough he might wake up to find it was all a dream.

Bill didn't laugh. He stood over the boy's body as he writhed in pain the fear. He waiting patiently for the boy to lose his voice and calm down slightly, enough for him to start release large heaving sobs that racked him body. Bill didn't move but a smile lit up his face like the crazed murderer he was.

"What do you say Pine Tree?" Bill voice echoed around the room, bouncing off the walls erratically. He sounded like he did when he had chased them through the Fearamid when he had control of the town. A time that Dipper was sure the demon wanted to go back to, the thought of it made his stomach turn over.

"I'm-m s-sorry!" He yelled through sobs as he watched his blood leek in little rivets down his arm and drip onto the table in a small puddle of red.

"For what?" Bills voice didn't change, twisting the fork to elicit a whimper from the boy.

"F-for b-being rude and… and…" His vision was starting to blur.

"And?" Bill prompted, tapping his fingers on the table like the drums of a death march. They echoed in Dipper's ears making his head ache.

"And disrespectful! I'm sorry for b-being disrespectful! I shouldn't h-have just answered the s-stupid question! I'm sorry." Dipper looked up from his bloodied arm pleadingly. "Please! Please help m-me!"

"Hah! You're a hoot kid! I don't care about disrespect and I don't give a damn if you're rude or not. But the one thing I can't stand is stupidity, yes there is a point when it's amusing but we are long past that and you know it!" Bill Laughed crudely into the boy's too pale face, he was losing too much blood.

Bill twisted the utensil painfully one last time before tugging it out of the boy's arm as he screamed at the top of his lungs. He pulled a bandage out of thin air and through it at the boy. It bounced off his head which had fallen almost limply onto the table, and splashed into the puddle of blood and spluttering the red liquid everywhere.

Bill laughed as the warm blood drops splattered onto his face and clothes. Boy, he had missed this! He had loved the torture of the townsfolk last summer but his fun had been cut short and spoiled. He was enjoying the fact that he now had his little puppet back to do what he wished. He had missed his puppet and now that he didn't need to use Pine Tree's body to get him to do what he wanted it was even more fun.

Dipper on the other hand was in a great deal of pain and the sadistic laughter that rose up above him made him feel sick. He didn't know what to do or how to feel, although it was only his arm that had been wounded his whole body ached and he didn't want to move. He felt his own blood catch in his hair and on his face making him feel dirty and wrong. He wanted to wipe it off, to rid himself off the disgusting sticky mess but he was too weak from loss of blood and sore to move.

"Bandage up that cut Pine Tree, before you get sick. Wouldn't want you to die now would we?" He stood there for another minute before picking up the boy to find that he had fallen unconscious.

He sighed exasperatedly before snapping his fingers. The bloodied bandage sprang to life and wrapped itself tightly around his small arm. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the he should wash the wound or put something out it to make sure it didn't make Dipper sick but he didn't care. He was still trying not to snap the boy's neck with a glare.

With another click off his fingers Dipper floated up out of the chair and above the Demon's head. His head lulled and his limbs dangled down limply as his breathing deepened. He had fallen into a feverish sleep and despite the fact that he hadn't eaten since that morning and was bound to be starving Bill saw no use in waking him. He probably wasn't up to eating anything yet anyway. He would be hungry tomorrow and Bill was sure he wouldn't be so flippant after what had happened.

He looked over the table and floors, he didn't want to have to get rid of the blood, it added character to the place. But he was sure that Dipper would freak out the next day to see his dried blood splattered over the table, floor and even the walls. He would clean it up later. He like the smell that wafted around the house, it smelt like blood.

He let the boy drift out of the room and up to his bedroom. Bill sat back down and sipped at the cup of tea that had been drifting around the room the entire time.

"I think you should take your own advice next time," Bill smiled wickedly as he heard Dipper let out a small whimper in his sleep from up in his room before hearing the door slams shut.


	7. Obedience Is The Folly Of A Dead Nan

**Hello, guys, girls and inbetweeners! Sorry it took so long but school's a killer- best excuse ever!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls, I don't even own the idea for this story.**

Dipper woke up with an unpleasant jolt as he fell out of bed tangled up in his sheets still haunted by a nightmare that had been as dark as the one he had been tormented by the night before. Fortunately he hadn't landed on his wounded arm which it was now throbbing painfully and it felt hot and tight in the bandages that he didn't remember putting on the night before. His room was still dark, which was a clear indication that the sun hadn't come up yet. There was no clock in his room nor had he found one anywhere else around the rest of the house.

He looked around the room for what might have been the first time since arriving. In the dull light he could see that the room itself was averagely sized, enough to fit a bed, chest of draws, a bed side table and a desk. He had used the desk the night before to write in his journal. The walls of the room were bare and painted an off white colour. The blinds were drawn over a view of the forest that faced away from the shack and the town. It looked like he were the only one left alive.

He began to untangle himself from the sheets, careful not to hurt or bump his arm. He could tell in the dull light that the bandage was hard and crusty with blood. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he smelt a sweet yet bitter scent that he knew from experience meant that the stab wounds had started to become infected he would have to stop it from getting worse somehow.

He didn't know if Bill kept anything around the house that would help with infection but he guessed the first place to look was the bathroom cupboard and if that fail he would have to go to the demon and asking him for help. The thought of asking for help from the thing that had stabbed him in the arm the night before simply for talking back, made him shiver. Yet again he had gone another day without eating a proper meal. If he kept it up he would lose all that extra weight, Dipper thought bitterly, looking down at his already slender frame.

He stumbled drunkenly out of the room and onto the landing in a daze. He needed to wash it before it got even more infected. He couldn't trust Bill to be able to help him if the wound got any worse. It wasn't like he listened or helped him with anything else.

As if on cue his stomach growled loudly in the darkness. He was almost positive that Bill already knew he was awake and wondering around the house but he still didn't want to draw attention to himself. He clutched his stomach as he made his way down the stairs. Dipper wasn't what you would call the most sure footed boy around so it took him a while to make his way down the staircase, taking one step at a time to make sure that he would fall down and hurt himself. He was going to have to be self-reliant from now on and he didn't want to make his job even harder by falling down the stair and landing unconscious at the bottom.

"Shit," he hissed as he slipped and skidded down a few steps before he was able to grab onto the banister with his good arm.

He paused for a minute to recollect himself and to check for any noises anywhere inside the house. He didn't feel like running into Bill at this time of the night, or at any time of the night for that matter. It meant he would have to tell the demon why he was out of bed. Granted Bill never said he couldn't leave his room at night and there wasn't a lock on the door to keep him in but it went without saying that Bill didn't want him to wonder around without him there to supervise. A few minute later, once he had regained his wits he slowly climbed to the bottom, which was just four steps down from where he had slipped.

Dipper made his way along the corridor towards the bathroom. He had one hand on the wall to make sure he wouldn't crash into anything. When he came to the door he switched on the light to make sure it was the right room. He clamped his eyes shut tight as he was faced with the too bright light of the bathroom light, after few more moments he opened them up and blinked rapidly, trying to get used to the change.

He squinted and stumbled over to the cabinet. The floor was cold to the touch despite the fact that it was summer and Goosebumps rose on his legs and knelt down and opened the cupboard door. It was almost bare but as Dipper began to rummage around in it he found a box of antibiotics and antiseptic spray. Dipper thought they were oddly specific items to have in a cupboard that only had a small amount of bathroom items in it. Bill must have known this would happen.

Bill. It all came back to Bill. He had been the one to send his uncle to the verge of madness. He had been the one to bring the end of the world. He manipulated and cheated his way into getting what he wanted. Dipper hated him with every fibre of his being. He couldn't help but smile to himself at the idea that the demon was trapped here and unable to go back where he came from. Bill had made it clear that he hated it here without his weirdness so Dipper thought of it as some small revenge on the Cipher Wheel's part. He knew that the lesson of revenge being bad was something that grown-ups wanted him to learn but he had had revenge on people before, whether it was on bullies back in Piedmont or Pacifica and he knew that it was a great feeling.

He cut away the bandage slowly using a pair of scissors that had had found in the back of the cabinet. As the bloody cast fell after he say the stab wounds for the first time sense the night before. His nose wrinkled at the sight of it. His arm was swollen and red and covered in brown blood. What the hell was on that fork? Toxin?

He pressed down on the skin around the four small holes in his flesh and watched as clear, watery liquid run down his arm and dropped onto the floor. He would clean it up later but right now he had to get the swelling down before he could do anything else. After he had drained him arm of all the fluid he grabbed a face washer and wet it with cold water. He hissed as the icy water dripped down his arm to join the pus on the floor. It took a lot of careful scrubbing to wash away the blood that had caked his skin. He whimpered as he sprayed the stab wounds with the antiseptic spray. It stung as it dropped into the holes and pooled there. He quickly grabbed a fresh white bandage and wrapped it around his arm a fast as his could, tightening it in an effort to make the pain go way. It would also help the holes to heal faster if they were closer together.

Dipper sat back and let out a sigh of relief. He could do this! He could take care of himself for the next… how ever long he was here for. He didn't need anyone's help to do anything and if he really wanted to he didn't even need to ask Bill for food. He didn't need Bill for anything!

"I wouldn't think that again if I were you, kid." The voice can from the doorway and made Dipper jump in surprise. Unfortunately, his movement were uncoordinated and his eagerness to turn around his legs fell into the puddle of water and pus and splashing all over the floor.

"Shit!" Dipper hissed again. He glared up at Bill who was leaning against the doorframe. "What do you want?"

When the demon didn't answer he set about cleaning his legs and the floor

Bill just stared down at him.

"Come here." Bill voice echoed coldly around the room. Dipper shivered uncontrollably. Despite the fact that he knew Bill was evil he wasn't used to the demon acting completely calm, he scared him half to death.

"Bill please, no one's here and I-" he pleaded. He really didn't want to go anywhere near the demon after what had happened the night before, but he had no chose.

"Come here now!" Bill's eye glowed red and electric blue flames erupted from his hand and licked at his arm.

Sighing, Dipper lifted himself off the ground. The tiles were cold as ice on his bare feet despite the fact that it was summer. As soon as he went within an arm's length of the demon he was pulled forwards as a hand, which wasn't coated in sickly flames, latched onto his arm so that he was close enough feel the demon's breathe on his skin. It was abnormally hot and caused hairs to rise along his neck.

"Don't let me hear you even think that you have _any_ kind of power ever again because last time I checked, you're lucky I'm allowing you to live," Bill hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "Go to the kitchen and _wait_ for me there. You will sit in a seat and do nothing until I come get you. Is that clear, _kid_? Or do I have to carve it into your arm?"

"No! I get it! I'll… I'll go. I'm sorry."

"For what? Bill looked at him incredulously for a moment as if he had no idea why Dipper would apologise for being yelled at.

"I- that's what people say sometimes, when they g-get yelled at…" Dipper wasn't sure why he had apologised to Bill he was the one who had been stabbed and yelled at for seemingly no reason at all. He would have to add to his journal that Bill could read his mind.

He missed the days when Bill could only annoy him in his sleep and even then he couldn't lay a finger on him. He missed feeling somewhat safe from him. Feeling as though he would be able to take down the demon if need be. He had control in his mind and even in Stan's mind, but not now.

"Well don't, it's annoying and it's pointless. Even if you grovel on the floor I will still kill you is I feel like it," the demon man spat, all but throwing him out of the room. He crashed loudly against the wall. His cry fell on deaf ears as he leapt out of the way just in time to dodge a ball of fire that had been thrown at his head. He ran towards the kitchen hoping that he wouldn't get hit in the back by a fireball; he wasn't even sure if he would survive that.

Dipper skidded into the room and fell. He curled into a ball and tried not to cry. He wanted so badly to see his family again. Hot tears slid down his face. He cried until he couldn't cry anymore. Dipper felt tired and drained. He didn't feel like moving anymore, not after the last twenty-four hours.

"Are you going to get up or what, kid?" The voice made Dipper flinch violently. Remembering what Bill had said about him sitting at the table he scrambled to his feet and run to the nearest before the demon decided to throw something else at him.

He sat down at the table, planted his hands between his legs and stared blankly at the table top. It was clear that Bill wasn't very good at cleaning. Smears of dried blood marred the table top. His stomach twisted painfully as he studied them.

Bill walked up beside him and paused for a moment causing Dipper to stiffen slightly. He waited for him to say something cruel or hurt him for not doing what he was told but he didn't. Bill kept walking around the table and sat down in the sit opposite to him. There was nowhere else to look so Dipper was forced to raise his head to glare defiantly at the demon.

His clothing was still exactly the same as it had been when he first began to look like a human. It didn't even look like he had gotten blood on him at either occasion where blood had been involved.

"You must be hungry." Bill, of course, was the first one to break the silence; his voice was oddly calm considering the fact that not fifteen minutes ago he had been throwing balls of fire at the boy's head without remorse. Dipper shivered.

"Yes," Dipper squeaked weakly, gripping the chair tightly under the table, getting ready to jump out of the way in case Bill wanted to use him for target practice again. "But I know I did something wrong…" _I just don't know what!_ "And I would prefer it if I got hurt and not someone that I care about."

"Don't worry, Pine Tree, I'm not going to starve you today and to be honest, I really don't care what you prefer. It's up to me what happens to you if you piss me off but sadly I think what I did last night was enough _for now._ You don't have to worry about your little family of freaks, _for now!_ Anyway what do you want to eat, kid?"

"Um…"

"I suggest you think about your answer before you say something you'll regret." Bill's voice was dangerous and loud, echoing through the house and making the walls shake slightly.

"I-I can make my own breakfast, Bill, you don't have to-" Dipper stood up from the table, pushing his chair back with his legs which were still shaking.

The table shattered and splinters scatter around the room like rain. The demon's gigantic black fist had slammed itself down onto the weak wooden bench, crushing it with his strength. Bill floated above him, his human skin forgotten. His glow filled the room with a too bright light causing Dipper to shield his eyes.

"SIT DOWN NOW!" His booming voice reverberated around the house, causing it to shake violently. Dust fluttered down from the ceiling as Dipper quickly slammed back into the chair. All the blood had drained from his face and he knew by the way Bill's eye squinted with joy that he looked terrified. "Surprisingly enough, kid, I'm not in the mood for sadism at the moment; I'd rather just kill you. So if you don't want to become a pile of dust on the floor I suggest you shut the hell up and do what I say!"

Bill's haunting cackle made Dipper's head pound as he bend his head so as to not look into the demon's eye. A four fingered hand planted itself in his messy mop of hair and ruffled it. If it was Ford's hand Dipper would have melted into it, happy of his great- uncle's affection and if it was Mabel he would have battered her hand away playfully and laughed with her as he fixed he hair over his forehead self-consciously. As it was he was struggling to hold back tears as he let the monster in front of him play with his hair.

"There's a good little puppet, now eat up."

A plate with two slices of toast appeared in his lap before he could ask, 'what food'. He ate them quickly under the watchful gaze of the yellow triangle, taking large, ravenous mouthfuls and gulping loudly.

Once he was done he made to stand up to put the plate in the sink but a sharp 'don't get up' stopped him from moving an inch. A gloved hand took the plate from his shaking hands and as he glanced up he saw that Bill had changed back into his… other body again.

"You can go outside today, Pine Tree. Just make sure to take a stick with you and hold it in front of you if you're walking away from the house, the force field is, shall we say: quite forceful." Bill laughed at his own joke but Dipper didn't move.

"How long will I able to be out there?" Dipper asked meekly, his eyes wondering hopefully out the window.

"How ever long you want to be out there, unless I call you."

"Can I take my journal with me?"

"As long as you show me what you've written when you come back."

Dipper climbed off the chair slowly as if to make sure he was allowed to before he turned to all but run for the door. The farthest away he got, the better he would feel.

" _Have fun, Pine Tree_." Bill smiled, waving as the boy left the room.


	8. Misses Home But Can't Return

**Hello boys, girls and inbetweeners!**

 **Welcome back, it's been far too long and I have more planned I promise, I haven't stopped I'm just a master procrastinator. Please tell me if there are any mistakes within the story whether they are grammatical or incorrect in the world of Gravity Falls, thanks.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls or any of the characters but I love them all so God damn much.**

"Pine Tree, come in here for a second," Bill called loudly from the kitchen before Dipper could make it through the door to escape.

His feet dragged on the tiled floor as he stepped, defeated, to face his captor. He was sat cross-legged to mid-air above a chair. A golden teacup floated lazily around him as if orbiting the sun. He looked calmer, more refined and held together than the beast-like man that had threatened him life not ten minutes ago.

"Remember what I said about the journal," he nodded towards the lump in the boy's vest pocket.

Yes," Dipper assured, feeling anxious to leave the demon's company as some as possible. He didn't want to say or do anything that would cause Bill to become angry again. He had never felt true fear like that before, he had always had Mabel by his side to comfort him but now he had to face Bill alone for the first time and he was terrified.

"I want to see it before you put it away."

"Okay" Dipper complied, backing slowly towards the door as he did so.

Bill pulled out his black cane from thin air and Dipper flinched away as Bill swung it down towards him. Bill held the glossy wooden staff out for him to take, seemingly unaware of the fear that he had just instilled in the boy.

Dipper grabbed hold of the stick tentatively and almost dropped it in shock.

"Why the hell is it so damn heavy?" He grunted under the weight of the simple wooden walking stick.

"I never really noticed its weight, maybe you're just weak," Bill smirked. Despite the obvious attack on Dipper's questionable masculinity Dipper was happy to catch sight of the imping smile because he knew that he was safe for the moment although he couldn't guarantee that it would remain like that for long.

He felt sweat drip down his face as his fingers inched for the door handle. His instincts were telling, no, screaming at him that it was not safe there with only Bill for company. Being trapped in in this dimension was clearly getting to Bill's head and the longer he stayed here the more erratic he would become.

"Why do I need it?"

"Hold the end out in front of you when you walk away from the house, if it crashes into the barrier than go no farther, kid, 'cause if you do you'll fry. Don't try to touch it with a finger if you want to have fingers."

Dipper just nodded. He knew from the look on Bill's face that he wasn't playing around; the barrier could kill him if he made one wrong move.

"If I call for you I expect you to come back to me immediately, do you understand?"

"I'm not your-" Dipper cemented his mouth shut before it got him into trouble again.

"I'm glad you stopped yourself there, Pine Tree, because you are whatever I say you are, the sooner you understand that the better." Bill growled warningly.

"Can I go now?" He asked, tugged anxiously at his vest.

"If you want." Bill sighed, waving him off and turning back to his tea.

Dipper didn't need to be told twice, he was out of the front door and down the steps before Bill could say anything else. He gulped down the fresh air and began to advance farther away from the house, the stick held out in front of him like a pretend sword.

He hummed the catchy tone to Disco Girl as he walked slowly away from the house but it was slower than it usual would have been and his voice had grown deeper over the past year meaning he was no longer able to reach the high notes like he used to.

"Disco Girl… Coming through… That girl is you- Ah!"

As he took another step forward he was all but thrown to the ground by an invisible force.

"The force field," he mused allowed, he had grown accustom to musing internal thoughts aloud under Ford's teachings, it was a way they could communicate to each other without having to stop what they were doing and waste time. But, of course, instead of a clap on the shoulder and a murmur of pride there was only silence.

He tapped the place where he thought the field was and felt his arm jerk back painfully as the stick rebounded.

Sitting beside the barrier, propped up against a tree he could hear the faint out of tune tones of Danny Boy. He couldn't see the Leprecorn from where he sat but he could tell that annoyingly catching tune anyway. The Shamrock creature must be galloping just outside the barrier. Dipper hoped that it wouldn't run into the barrier by accident. The image of a fly flying into a bug-zapper caused Dipper to shiver despite heat of the mid-summer sun.

He sat there for the next hour, flipping through his journal absentmindedly.

"Pine Tree, get out from behind that tree I want to talk to you."

With a sigh Dipper picked himself up and stepped around to face the demon in human skin. He was leaning against a tree only a few metres away and smirking down at him.

"You're a quick learner." The demon smirked widely, showing a row of perfectly aligned white teeth.

"You're an aggressive teacher." Dipper mumbled, gesturing to his shoddily bandaged arm.

"I'm sure Ford would agree with you."

"He wouldn't have always agreed."

"True, but he learnt. I'm sure I can say the same for you kid. It pains me to say it, become I know you're going to love it, but you are so much alike, you and him."

"He hates you now, you know that right?"

"I have noticed that he has become rather bitter towards me lately but I have no idea why." Bill sniggered and collapsed onto the forest floor. He patted the ground beside him and, hesitantly, Dipper took up the patch of grass.

"He didn't always."

"How do you know that?"

"I read the journals, all of them, I read the parts that he scribbled on and ripped out. You weren't just his Muse he saw you as being more important, he trusted your word over the word of his best friend. What _was_ your relationship with Great-uncle Ford?" He was sure he was pushing it a bit too far, that Bill might figure it out but fortunately Bill wasn't looking at him but staring off into the forest with a blank expression on his face.

"Why do you think it was anything more than respect and admiration?"

 _As if!_ Dipper thought quietly.

"Christ Bill, I'm thirteen, I can read subtext you know!" Dipper snapped back. His face was turning a bright shade of red.

"Why do you want to know?" Bill asked with a touch of curiosity in his voice, it was clear that he hadn't expected him to read between the lines.

"Because it's sounded like you were more than just his Muse and he's my great-uncle, he doesn't talk about you and I want to know... what it was like." Dipper was careful not to look at the demon as he said this; he didn't want him to know what he was asking.

"I know what you're trying to imply kid and it was not like that, Ford can't 'love' anyone like that. He was always in love with the idea of science and mysteries and to him love was neither. He was in love with the knowledge I gave him not the time I spent with him. Let's just say he took some of Tesla's philosophies a bit too much to heart."

"Oh, right, of course." Dipper knew all about how much his Great uncle admired Nicola Tesla's work and how it how served for most of his inspiration when trying to figure out how to build the portal. At one point to the journal Ford had even compared the love he for Tesla to the love that Fiddleford had for his wife and son.

"Enough about old Sixer, he's useless now, I can't destroy this universe either way so he's served his purpose for now."

"What's my purpose then?"

"Entertaining me when I get bored."

"I'm not going to act like your puppet, Bill I mean more than that to the ones I love."

"Yes, of course your more than that I mean, Stan likes you because you work for free and Mabel likes you because you're a push over and you'll go along with her stupid selfish games. And let's not forget old Fordsie, he likes you because you stumble around him likes a puppy and boy does he _love_ the attention." Bill sneered down at him, making him feel like a bug or a germ.

"SHUT… I mean… I don't believe you; you're only saying these things to get me to doubt their love for me so that I'll join you."

"Oh, you got me kid, I just wanted to soften the blow of never being able to see them again after the summer. I'm such a terrible demon, no wonder you all hate me.

"Stop with the sarcasm Cipher! I won't ever trust you no matter what you say."

"I'll let you get away with that childish command for now but if you ever say anything like that again I won't hesitate to cut your eye out."

To Dipper's discomfort Bill looked completely serious about following through with his threat. Bill's human body also only had one visible eye and Dipper knew for a fact that Bill liked to plaster his likeness on everything he owns.

"Is there any way for me to talk to Mabel when she goes home?" Dipper asked curiously in an attempt to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"Sorry kid, no can do, I have no dominion over the world outside the Gravity Falls town borders." Bill thought for a minute, tipping his head back to look at the sky. "But I can give you a way to talk to her while she lives within the town."

"That's great! What is it?" A bubble of hope rose in Dipper's chest, if there was a way for him to communicate with his family there might be way for them to rescue him as well.

"You're getting a bit ahead of yourself there kid, I'm not giving you anything that special for free! I am not a demon of charity I'm a demon of dreams and if you want to get a dream out of me you've got to give me something in return."

"What more could I possibly give you, Bill? I've already given you myself and my word that I wouldn't fight being here." Dipper pleaded. ' _Although that doesn't mean Mabel, Stan and Ford can't try_ …' He thought hopefully.

"Here's the deal kid, I'm not gonna sugar coat any of it for you, I get bored really easily and you don't want to see me when I'm bored."

"Yeah, I've noticed that but what do you want me to do about it? And where does my family come into all of this?

"Obviously you're not the only Pines that interest me but I knew that Ford would never want to make a deal with me again."

"But you brought him here before, this is where we made the deal before you brightened the place up, it's much nicer now."

"Even though I lured old Fordsie out here I can't make him stay like you, I don't have enough power to make energy chains and he would never in a million year make that deal without some high quality manipulation on my part and although it would be fun to see where it would have lead, making the deal with you was far more easier then I had first thought."

"Gee, thank."

"I'm not going to lie to save your dignity kid."

"You've lied for less before."

"Touché."

"I don't mean to stop this weirdly okay conversation that isn't ending in me getting hurt in any way but we were discussing this new deal you were thinking of."

"Oh, right, of course, I didn't think you would be so eager to get back onto the topic, I always thought you regretted all the deals we ever made."

"I made a promise that I would regret this one no matter what happens. I'm doing it to save my family."

"Caring for the ones you love just means it hurts even more when they die kid, I hope you realise that kid."

"Of course I do but it doesn't matter how I feel in the end all that matters is that my family and friends are save from you and your cronies."

"Yeah, whatever you say kid, just remember that I warned you. Anyway, back to this deal, I want you to talk to Sixer and the other Pines family and act as though I won't be reading every letter they send."

"And why will that stop you from being bored? We could just play chess instead you know?"

"As I was saying before you're not the only interesting Pines, Pine Tree. I'm not quite as omnipresent as I used to be and I want to be able to watch over you as well as spy on the other meatsacks. Understand?"

"I get it but I have no idea how I'm going to be able to… What was it? Write letters to them when there's no post office in a radius of about thirty miles around this house and there's even less of a chance that you will willingly let me out to post anything."

"Don't be stupid Pine Tree I know you're not that dumb."

"Oh, yeah, so how am I going to write to them then?" Dipper challenged, pulling at the grass angrily.

"Easy kid, I'll make you a post box." With a click of Bill's fingers a letter box grew like a tree from the grass in front of them.

It was a dirty white colour with a small red flag which signalled any mail. Bits of moss and lichen were already growing on it.

To Dipper's amazement it was the letter box that he had found with Soos last summer. He and Soos were able to communicate with the mysterious person on the other end. Whoever it was they knew the answer to any question they had asked. But they had never been able to ask it who the Author of the journals was.

Of course he knew now who the Author was and to some extant the amazement of who he really was had worn off somewhat. But back then he was crushed by the fact that he could no longer obtain the knowledge after Mabel had put her disgusting video into it.

Of course he had forgiven her for what she had done. How could he not? She was his sister, she was his twin.

"It's the mail box that we found in the forest! Was it yours all along?" Dipper sounded bewildered, shocked by the idea that he might have been talking to the triangle dream demon without even knowing it.

"Nope, that wasn't my box kid, that was the Axolotl's little box of knowledge. The asshole is probably laughing at me right now. I'm sure this is just what he wanted, for me to be useless and trapped." Bill let out an animalistic scream and slammed his fists onto the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. Dipper shot away from him in fear of his life. He knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of Bill rage and he didn't want any more wounds to clean.

"So is that what I'll be using to send them letters?" Dipper asked carefully after it looked safe enough for him to do so.

"Yeah... yeah, knock yourself out kid, I'm going back inside. Just remember the rules. My name is literally Cipher so don't think you're smarter than me and put in a stupid little massage for them to decipher because it won't work."

Dipper sat staying after his captor as he made his way across the garden to the house. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of communicating with his family again even if it was only through letters. A million little plans began to form in his head and he could help but laugh out loud.


	9. Letters Of Love And Loss

**Hello Boys, Girls and Inbetweeners!**

 **Get ready for the letters from home. I had a lot of trouble with the codes/ secret messages if you want you as the read have the ability to figure out the messages (maybe not the first letter, but who knows, you might have the same dictionary as me) if you can count, have a journal 3 and think outside the box.**

 **I'll post the messages with the next chapter, I want to see what you guys have to say, just like the real show.**

To Mabel, Grunkle Stan and Ford,

Bill was nice enough to give me a way to talk to you while I'm here. I hope you will be able to find the letter box, I'm sure it will pop up somewhere that is easy to find, maybe outside the shack. Look out for it; it wouldn't be hard to miss.

If you wanted to use it as a tourist attraction, Grunkle Stan and Soos I'd be happy to send you weird stuff as you talk to the tourists about how mysterious it is. They'll probably think it's a ghost sending messages from the grave and give you lots of money for it. It might even be enough to pay for Ford's hospital expenses.

Please try to write to me as much as you can it boring being stuck inside this bubble all the time. I don't think I'll be allowed to contact you at all after Mabel leaves to go back to Piedmont so I want to be able to talk to you as much as possible in the time we have left.

I'll be sending you each a letter soon so be sure to read them and respond as soon as you can. Bill said that he would let me say goodbye to Mabel on our birthday, the last day of summer.

Sidenote: I have all these notes from Ford's research but I need your help Mabel. I need you to look up these words for me. I know what 'bankrupt' means because of Stan but I have a problem understanding what an 'argot' is as well as 'aerobic' and 'assert'. I will not 'capitulate' to my lack of knowledge. Thanks for the help. Every time I try to decipher their meanings are I 'breakaway' from the research and its 'agony' to do so.

I hope I'll hear from you really soon, send me lots of letters,

Dipper.

* * *

Hey Great-uncle Ford,

I hope you're doing alright without your apprentice, Ha Ha. I know what you were like when you worked solo when you were younger, I don't want you to fall into old habits again. I'm sure Grunkle Stan's looking after you though. I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened... for what's happening. I swear I know what I'm doing, okay?

It's weird though, I'm getting really confused about things, Bill's acting really nice to me and I don't know whether what he says is genuine or not. I'm sure you know what I mean. He acts like my friend and I know what he did to you but when he talks to me it's like I can't quite remember why I hate him and why he's bad. I think it's the body. He walks around in a human skin and I can't quite put two and two together. It's like he isn't the same Bill Cipher that tried being the end of the world.

It's so peaceful here, I keep losing track of time. I haven't seen anyone else around apart from a few magical and non-magical creatures you've already categorised.

I hope you've gotten better after what Bill did. I know what he's like when he gets angry, It can be really painful sometimes but I guess that's what it's like living here with him.

I don't want to sound like Grunkle Stan but please don't lock yourself down it the basement, you need to take care of yourself and both Mabel and Stan will be taking it hard as well. You need to be there for them.

You can't become like the man you told me about. The one you met on your travels. The crazy weird one with stupid blue hair right? You told me he let his bad choices consume him and made him crazy depressed... I don't want that to happen to me, you know? I want to be able to accept the choices I made and allow them to define me.

I remember reading the bible and thinking nothing of these lines at the time but now I think I know what they mean. I hope you're about to learn more about both you and me through them.

John 3:7- "You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'"

Peter 1:3-8- "Confirming One's Calling and Election"

John 8:7- "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

Just remember Ford if only you were able to save both Stan and Fiddleford sooner if only you had called for him two years before you did, in 1980.

I'm a hero, Ford... Ironic I guess.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Mason Pines.

* * *

Hey Mabel,

I'm so sorry this had to happen to you, Mabel. I never in a million years wanted to leave you to go through this alone but I have no choice. I never wanted to hurt you but I know you're going to get hurt either way and this is the only way to keep you and everyone else safe.

Bill... Well... He's not bad sometimes, you know. Don't tell Ford that though. He just gets mad sometimes but he's never hurt me. I just hope that doesn't change.

It's too dangerous for you to come looking for me so please just stay safe with Stan and Ford. I wish I could tell you more about my time here but he probably wouldn't like that.

It sucks that I'm missing so much of Ducktective. I wonder if you could send me a copy of the last few episodes I've missed so that I can keep up to date. The last episode I saw was the one where the mysterious villain hurts Ducktective and Ducktective and his evil twin brother have to work together to defeat the mystery villain. If you could send me all the episodes after that, that would be great. I get bored a lot here and I need something to take my mind off of the whole thing.

As you know my favourite episodes are episodes 63, 28, 14, 13, 49, 22 and 12, in that order of course. If you could put them on the VHS that would be great as well. Because as you say, 'you can never have too much of a good thing' except for Smile Dip, you can always have too much Smile Dip.

I love you Mabel, I hope I get to see you soon,

Dipper.

* * *

To Grunkle Stan,

I feel like I've said sorry so many times in these letters but I can't apologise enough to you, Stan. I really have no idea what it would be like for you now. I need you to know that it isn't your fault and that there's nothing you can do. We might as well rip the bandage off quickly now. You have to tell my parents.

I'm going to talk to Bill about how we're going to handle this. I know my parents will want all of Oregon searched and won't stop until they've at least found my body. I don't want you to get into trouble so we'll have to all work together to come up with a plan that won't be suspicious. I know they'll find out somethings wrong soon because I haven't sent them any letters for a while.

I was coming up with ideas the other day I was thinking we could make it look like it was a bear, it's believable and you won't get into too much trouble. Bill said we could just use Fiddleford's memory gun on them but that is way too horrible to even think about. Plus I don't think Fiddleford would want to remake it anyway. We'll have to come up with a plan soon, summer's almost over.

I'm trying to stay strong Grunkle Stan but I'm scared, I don't know what's going to happen to me after summers over. I'll be fourteen but I won't be able to be with you guys, I can only say goodbye to Mabel. I don't know if I can say goodbye to Mabel Grunkle Stan, I've been with her since I was born. I'm sure you know what it's like. It's something I can't talk to Ford about. He wouldn't really understand like you. I would give anything to stay with her but I don't want any of you to get hurt.

Sorry, I'm getting off topic. I hope to hear from you soon with some more ideas on how to fix this. I'll talk to Bill about helping us with our plans. I mean we can't do anything without his help.

Can you please do me one final favour and photocopy these pages out of journal 3, I wasn't allowed to bring it with me. Ford's first journal entry as well as the page on Spells, the Gravity Falls timeline, the Truth Teeth map, the page on Haunted Paintings, the Category Nine ghosts' page 2 and the page about the Palm Reader Ford hates talking about. If you could send me these pages that would be great. I haven't really had much to do here and I find these pages very interesting. Thanks.

I miss you Grunkle Stan.

Dipper.

* * *

Dipper folded each letter up and slid each one into their own envelope with the family members names on the front. It had taken him more than an hour on each letter to come up with a coded message for each member of his family. And even after all that work he still had no idea if they would be able to understand what he was trying so hard to tell them.

Of course he would have to show each letter to Bill but he hoped that his coding would be something that Bill hadn't seen before and therefore wouldn't be able to pick up on it.

He was also using mediums that Bill was mostly likely unaware of, a dictionary, a Bible, the Ducktective series and Journal 3. So with the demon's lack of power there was a good chance that Dipper was home free. As long as he used something different each time he could do it until he eventually slipped up.

Despite these facts running around in the boy's head he still began to sweat as he presented the letters the Bill. Bill was seated on one of the shiny, black leather couches on the lounge room that was located down the hall from the kitchen. Neither of them spent much time in the room as it became awkward for Dipper to spend any time at all sitting in silence with the demon that was holding him captive.

"Finally, Axolotl, what took you so long?" Bill growled, snatching the letters from Dippers hands and pulling them roughly from their covers. Dipper had become used to Bill's erratic mood swings. Even the fact that he would use this mysterious Axolotl character in the place where a normal person would say God didn't bother him as much anymore.

"I... I didn't know what to say," Dipper answered truthfully, but not totally.

"Yes... Well... Everything seems to be okay, I don't want you asking for too much stuff from the outside world," Bill murmured as he shuffled through each page. From where he stood Dipper could see his eyes flick from left to right at in human speed. He knew he was searching for hidden code.

"I know, I wouldn't make a habit out of it," he replied, biting his lip.

Dipper stood there lamely for what felt like years as sweat poured down his face in rivers. The tension was palpable and if there were a clock in the house it would have echoed harshly through the silence.

After an age Bill handed back the letters, which had been placed back into their respective envelopes.

"You can go out and post them now, but don't forget to take that stick with you. I don't want you wondering too far away from the house, go straight to the box and back." The demon almost looked dejected as though he wanted to find something wrong with Dipper's letters. Dipper let out a large breath that he hadn't even realised he had been holding until he felt light headed and a bit dizzy. It was as if Bill wanted any reason to punish him but of course he didn't really need a reason to bruise or even cut the boy whenever he was in the mood for it.

Dipper had become used to the strict instructions whenever he wanted to go outside the house for any length of time so he simply nodded and turned to leave. Even though Bill had given strict instructions he still followed Dipper towards the door and watched him as he held the stick out in front of him and began to walk towards the lone letterbox. Just like the one that they had found last summer as soon as he had closed the lid on the letters there was a loud sucking sound coursing the box to rattle dangerously. When Dipper opened the box they were gone.


End file.
